Over March 5th and 6th of 2010, RJ facilitators undertook extensive training at a workshop held at Turret House in the Wairarapa, New Zealand.

The training deepened all participants' understandings of what it feels like to be a victim and offender prior to, during and after a Restorative Justice conference. The role of the facilitator was also a key focus of the workshop.

The workshop was a huge success, with the participants and facilitators generating a number of methods for RJ processes to be implemented and expanded on within the community.

This is what Sarah Hermens had to say about the workshop with Jim and Helen:
"It was so nice to meet you at the training, and such a privilege to learn from such experienced masters. I practiced my first post-training RJ conference with my children on Monday, following my 10 year old not being able to find her white socks for school and upsetting her two 8 year old siblings and me in her wake when she escalated the situation. I didn't do the pre-conference meeting (it was 8am in the morning) so the roles were not as clear as they might otherwise have been, and my eldest daughter saw herself more as the victim rather than the offender.  I like the principles of responsibility and empathy embodied in the RJ process and even if my "Mums" take on it is not exactly textbook, I think my children will be all the better for learning to follow a simple process. I hope our paths cross again. It was great to meet you."