Victims are to be offered the chance to meet the criminals who have targeted them, as part of a pilot being run in the county.
As revealed in the Chronicle & Echo earlier this month, the county’s Police & Crime Commissioner is keen to allow victims of burglaries, robberies and other crimes to meet criminals face-to-face.
The system, known as restorative justice, is to be piloted in Corby and is the first time the project has been run in Northamptonshire.
Supporters say the pilot “holds offenders to account, helps them understand the real impact of what they’ve done, take responsibility and often make amends”.
PCC Adam Simmonds today said: “The victim can choose whether or not to face the offender”
“The victim is rarely in a court unless giving evidence as a witness. That victim never has an opportunity to confront an attacker or a burglar. I think that’s poor.
“These days I don’t think they should go off without seeing the victim. The victim can expel anger, explain what has happened and in many cases I’ve seen offenders completely changed by coming face to face with the person they hurt.”
During the murder trial of Shawn Tyson (pictured), the teenage thug convicted of murdering Northampton tourist James Kouzaris, his friends were able to tell Tyson how he had ruined so many lives.
Paul Davies and Joe Hallett both read statements at the conclusion of the murder trial, held in Florida, USA.
Mr Simmonds said the new pilot was not about sexual offences or about sidestepping courts and the principle of punishment.
He added: “I want courts to convict people but make restorative justice be part of a sentence.
“It’s not about making the offender feel better either. It’s about the victim being able to decide whether to confront that offender.
“Sometimes the offender comes into a room with an attitude. As if it’s a joke, or doesn’t matter. The criminal hears that a burglary for example is not a victimless crime. Not just stolen property.
“It’s changed someone’s life. And it actually dramatically alters the criminal’s perception.”
The Corby project is the first of its kind in Northamptonshire and could help shape a national scheme.
It will be run by the Local Criminal Justice Board and the Corby Community Safety Partnership.
It follows government policy to better tackle anti-social behaviour and low-level crime.