Connektivity was proud to be a sponsor of the 2024 Northern Ireland Restorative Conference, hosted by the Restorative Justice Council at the Stormont Hotel in Belfast on Friday 6th September 2024.
With the theme “Breaking the Cycle,” this year’s conference shone a spotlight on the school-to-prison pipeline and how restorative processes can make a real impact on the lives of those affected. The event brought together leading experts, practitioners, policymakers, and community organisations from across Northern Ireland and beyond to explore the many dimensions of restorative connections — from community-based practices to criminal justice.
An inspiring programme of speakers
The conference featured a remarkable line-up of speakers and guests. Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long delivered the opening address, highlighting the vital role restorative justice plays in repairing harm, building relationships, and reducing offending. She emphasised the importance of developing restorative practice as an early intervention in schools and communities, before individuals come into contact with the criminal justice system.
Keynote speaker Jo Berry shared her deeply personal story — her father was killed in the Brighton Bomb forty years ago — offering a powerful testament to the transformative potential of restorative approaches. Professor Kieran McEvoy from Queen’s University Belfast examined the value of apologies in historical and political contexts, drawing on examples from Northern Ireland, Colombia, and South Africa. Debbie Watters OBE, Chair of the Restorative Justice Council, led a thought-provoking panel discussion on how cultivating a restorative culture can empower community transformation.
Dr Terrence Bevington spoke compellingly about the value of a restorative culture within education, including peer mediation, while representatives from Queen’s University Belfast, Ulster University, the Probation Board for Northern Ireland, and community-based restorative justice organisations including Northern Ireland Alternatives and Community Restorative Justice Ireland all contributed to a rich and wide-ranging programme.
Keynote: Improving Restorative Justice through Data Insights
Connektivity CEO Darren Edwards delivered a keynote presentation on “Improving Restorative Justice through Data Insights,” exploring how organisations can harness the power of comprehensive, structured data to strengthen their restorative practice and demonstrate measurable impact to commissioners, funders, and stakeholders.
The presentation highlighted how the right case management system can move services beyond basic record-keeping to provide genuine intelligence — tracking referral patterns, participant outcomes, satisfaction rates, and programme effectiveness over time. With growing pressure on services to justify funding and demonstrate value, the session resonated strongly with delegates seeking practical ways to evidence their work.
“It was an absolute pleasure to sponsor and speak at the RJC Northern Ireland Conference. The calibre of speakers and the passion of the delegates was truly inspiring. Events like this are so important for bringing the sector together to share knowledge and drive restorative practice forward. Being able to present on how data insights can strengthen restorative justice services — and then have those conversations continued at our stand throughout the day — was incredibly rewarding.”
— Darren Edwards, CEO, Connektivity
The school-to-prison pipeline
A central theme of the conference was the devastating impact of the school-to-prison pipeline. Delegates heard that data from February 2024 estimates the lifetime cost of excluding a young person from school at £370,000, encompassing education, benefits, healthcare, and civil justice costs. Young people excluded before the age of twelve are four times more likely to be imprisoned during adulthood, and just one percent go on to achieve five good GCSE grades — placing them at significantly higher risk of unemployment and exploitation.
These stark figures underlined the urgency of embedding restorative approaches in education and communities as early intervention measures, a message that resonated throughout the day’s sessions and discussions.
Sponsoring the sector we serve
As a sponsor, Connektivity had the opportunity to showcase the myRJ platform to a highly engaged audience of practitioners and organisations working at the forefront of restorative practice across Northern Ireland and the wider UK. Our presence at the conference reflects our ongoing commitment to being an active partner in the restorative justice sector — not just as a technology provider, but as an organisation that genuinely understands and supports the work practitioners do every day.
Want to learn more about myRJ?
If we met you at the RJC Northern Ireland Conference and you’d like to continue the conversation, or if you’re looking for a dedicated case management platform for your restorative justice service, we’d love to hear from you.
Book a Demo →We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Restorative Justice Council for organising such an outstanding event, and to all the speakers, delegates, and partners who made the day so memorable. We look forward to continuing our support of the restorative justice community at future events.
For more information about the Restorative Justice Council and their work, visit restorativejustice.org.uk.