Dr Jane Bolitho is a social scientist and Associate Professor at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. She holds the Diana Unwin Chair in Restorative Justice at Te Ngāpara Centre for Restorative Practice, a pivotal role in leading research and innovation in this growing field. Dr Bolitho’s work has roots in psychology and criminology, with a specific focus on restorative justice, alternative dispute resolution, and violence prevention. Her longstanding dedication to transforming justice systems highlights the depth of her expertise and her commitment to empowering both victims and offenders through inclusive dialogue.
Shaping the Restorative Landscape
The Centre for Restorative Practice (Te Ngāpara) takes a proactive approach to finding new ways of addressing the “wickedly challenging social justice issues of our times.” Under Dr Bolitho’s leadership, the Centre aims to develop rigorous scholarship and strengthen restorative practices within many of New Zealand’s key sectors—encompassing the youth and adult justice systems, corrections, schools, workplaces, and even the health sector. The Centre regularly advises government and community organisations on how to address harm through co-design principles, reflecting Dr Bolitho’s emphasis on collaboration and community engagement.
Having trained and briefly practised as a psychologist, Dr Bolitho spent many years as an academic criminologist. She has researched diverse settings, from prisons in New South Wales to conferencing procedures in the youth justice sphere. Her focus on both the human experience and systemic operations has helped her develop a comprehensive understanding of how restorative practices can complement or reform existing legal and community processes. She notes that “it’s the emotional core of restorative justice—rather than any mandated apology—that allows for true accountability and healing.”
Expanding Restorative Practices
Dr Bolitho is particularly interested in how restorative methods extend beyond the courtroom. Although they are often employed alongside legal processes—such as youth justice conferencing or court-referred restorative sessions—she points out that restorative principles also have value in schools, workplaces, and medical contexts. This breadth of application exemplifies her broader vision of “restorative practice” as a way of responding to harm, providing dialogue, and facilitating healing in almost any setting.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, there is widespread recognition that restorative principles align with the values of building community and acknowledging diverse perspectives. According to Dr Bolitho, the success of youth justice family group conferences and the Iwi Justice Panels (Te Pae Oranga) highlight how restorative programmes can promote collaboration at multiple levels. She sees “an established track record of innovative work” in New Zealand, but also stresses that more can be done to embed these practices throughout society. “Victims need more flexibility and choice around how and when they participate in restorative processes,” she states, emphasising the importance of timing, preparation, and follow-up support.
Innovating for Inclusivity and Decolonisation
As part of her new role, Dr Bolitho aims to “foster further innovation that again lifts the bar on what the restorative justice movement can achieve,” including a commitment to decolonising restorative practices. She underscores the need to strengthen Māori leadership in the Asia–Pacific region and internationally with First Nations peoples. Colonised societies often carry historical harms that have never been fully addressed, and Dr Bolitho believes restorative frameworks can facilitate both personal healing and broader reconciliation. She notes that in diverse contexts—be it a youth justice matter, a family dispute, or institutional abuse—true restoration involves “recognising the interplay of culture, community, and individual narratives.”
Decolonising practices, she explains, require an intentional shift away from defaulting to “mainstream perspectives,” which can overlook the lived realities of marginalised groups. By prioritising inclusive, community-led approaches, restorative programmes can address underlying power imbalances. This is echoed in the Centre’s work to co-design solutions in response to hate crimes or historical wrongs, ensuring that those most affected have a central voice.
A Transformative Vision
Dr Bolitho’s vision for restorative justice is both compassionate and pragmatic. She has facilitated youth conferences and worked directly with victims and offenders, but also recognises the immense value in thorough research and policy development. Beyond the criminal context, she and her team examine how restorative approaches can be used in complex arenas such as health, workplace disputes, and community-level reconciliation after catastrophic events. She believes that “restorative practitioners and scholars around the world look to Aotearoa for leadership in advancing the restorative justice movement.”
Combining academic rigour with a deep respect for human stories, Dr Jane Bolitho stands at the forefront of restorative justice. Her call for flexibility, empathy, and innovation has sparked a new chapter in how societies understand accountability and healing. Whether it is youth offending, historical redress, or conflict in the workplace, Dr Bolitho envisions a world where respectful dialogue and authentic engagement pave the way towards more meaningful forms of justice for all.
Research and Publications
Dr. Jane Bolitho has made significant contributions to the field of restorative justice through her research and publications. Here is a short outline of her key research writings on the topic:
Restorative Justice Principles and Practice
- Explored the core principles of restorative justice, including participatory processes, consensual decision-making, and empowerment[3][6].
- Emphasized the importance of dialogue, storytelling, and active listening in addressing harm[3].
Victim-Centered Approach
- Studied the effectiveness of restorative justice in meeting victims’ unmet justice needs[4].
- Analyzed data from 74 victim-offender conferences, finding that 95% of cases met the majority of articulated “unmet justice needs”[4].
Facilitation in Restorative Justice
- Examined the role and process of facilitation in restorative justice practices[9].
- Highlighted the importance of skilled facilitators in successful interventions[4].
Application to Serious Crimes
- Investigated the use of restorative justice in cases of serious crime, including child sexual abuse[6].
- Explored the potential of restorative practices in transforming the emotional impact of violent crime on victims[2].
Best Practices in Restorative Justice
- Authored “Putting justice needs first: A case study of best practice in restorative justice”[1].
- Co-authored “Science, art and alchemy: Best practice in facilitating restorative justice”[1].
Restorative Justice for Adults
- Edited “Restorative justice: Adults and emerging practice”, examining the values and challenges of restorative justice for adult offenders, victims, and communities[5][8].
Dr. Bolitho’s research has significantly contributed to the understanding and implementation of restorative justice practices, particularly in addressing serious crimes and meeting the needs of adult victims and offenders.
Citations:
[1] https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=1kzaVtQAAAAJ&hl=en
[2] https://people.wgtn.ac.nz/jane.bolitho/publications
[3] https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/rpp127.pdf
[4] https://restorativejustice.ie/2021/04/26/bolitho-2015-on-meeting-victims-justice-needs/
[5] https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/6936432
[6] https://humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/transforming_justice_australia_attachment6_redacted_0.pdf
[7] https://www.transformingjustice.org.au/about-1
[8] https://philpapers.org/rec/BOLRJA
[9] https://www8.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/UNSWLRS/2019/84.pdf
