Change Makers in Restorative Justice The Transformative Power of Lived Experience

Conceptualising Restorative Justice and Ex‑Prisoner Participation  2. Ex‑Prisoner‑Led Community Restorative Justice in Northern Ireland  3. Ex‑Prisoner‑Led Restorative Justice and Local Legitimacy Struggles  Part 1: Practitioner Skillsets  4. Ex‑Prisoner Leadership and the Micro‑Dynamics of Restorative Justice: Practitioner Skillsets  Part 2: Practitioner Positionality  5. Ex‑Prisoner Leadership and the Micro‑Dynamics of Restorative Justice: Practitioner Positionality  6. Ex‑Prisoner Leadership, Reentry, and Desistance Processes  7. Lessons from Northern Ireland: Ex‑Prisoners, Restorative Justice, and Social Transformation

Biography

Allely Albert is a Research Fellow at Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland. Her interests focus on informal security and justice practices, emphasising community-based approaches to safety and the role of lived experience in peacebuilding contexts. 

Few case studies demonstrate the transformative power of lived experience leadership quite like Northern Ireland's remarkable experience of restorative justice. Albert's insightful analysis based on deep fieldwork engagement shows how much this story matters for those of us interested in peacemaking and social justice.

Shadd Maruna, Head of Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology at the University of Liverpool

 

Ex-prisoners and former combatants have unique social capital for violence interruption, restorative justice, and peace. Usually that social capital is wasted. Albert’s book is a tour de force of why and how it was not wasted in Northern Ireland. New frontiers of restorative justice and smarter paths to peace are unlocked by this brilliant analysis.

John Braithwaite, Australian National University

 

Allely Albert’s book makes a significant contribution to the literatures on restorative justice, peacebuilding and participatory justice. By centring formerly criminalised people as credible and reparative leaders, it provides fresh insights into democratised approaches to justice and conflict resolution, which will be valuable to scholars, policymakers and practitioners alike.

Gillian Buck, Associate Professor of Social Work, University of Chester

 

Allely Albert’s Change Makers in Restorative Justice powerfully affirms what lived experience teaches us: those closest to harm and justice are best placed to transform it. This book is a vital contribution, demonstrating how formerly incarcerated leadership strengthens restorative practice, restores dignity, and creates meaningful pathways for reintegration and lasting community safety. 

Ndimphiwe Nyakati, Formerly incarcerated person in South Africa, INN Global Freedom Consultant