Professor Theo Gavrielides to Speak at Restorative Justice and Pathways Conference in the Virgin Islands
Professor Theo Gavrielides, founder and director of RJ4All International Institute, is set to speak at the Restorative Justice and Pathways Conference in the Virgin Islands on October 7th and 8th, hosted by the Government of the Virgin Islands through the Office of the Deputy Governor.
A Commitment Taking Shape
The conference, themed “Fortifying the Foundation, Shaping the Future Through Strengthened Systems and Relationships,” runs from 5 to 16 October and marks a step towards a commitment made at the 2025 Virgin Islands Anti-Crime Summit, where the government pledged to formally introduce a restorative justice programme. Fourteen internationally recognised experts have been brought to the Territory for the event, alongside senior judicial figures including former Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Dame Janice Pereira.
The programme runs in two parts, with sessions on the criminal justice system from 5 to 8 October, followed by sessions on the education system from 12 to 16 October, when a smaller group of educators will also take part in dedicated training.
Two Sessions, One Conversation
Professor Gavrielides has been invited to contribute to two sessions during the criminal justice segment.
Wednesday October 7th
Disrupting Punitive Defaults
On 7 October, he co-presents “Disrupting Punitive Defaults – Aligning Culture with Restorative Practice” alongside Professor Corin Bailey of the University of the West Indies, examining why punitive responses persist as the default in many justice systems, and how organisational culture, risk aversion and professional incentives shape everyday decisions on bail, sentencing and breach responses.
Thursday October 8th
From Commitment to Action
On 8 October, he moderates “From Commitment to Action – Defining Priorities and Principles,” a facilitated plenary designed to draw the conference’s discussions into a shared framework for implementation, agreeing core principles, reform priorities and safeguards such as legality, victim protection and legitimacy.
"Punitive defaults don't hold because they work. They hold because they're familiar, and because changing them can feel risky for the people who have to make the call. Restorative justice asks something different: what does accountability look like when it also repairs harm, involves victims, and rebuilds trust between people and institutions. What I hope this conference does is give practitioners in the Virgin Islands room to test restorative justice in a system their size. We've spent years learning similar lessons at street level in South East London. It's a privilege to bring that experience into a conversation this far from home, and to learn just as much in return."
Part of a Wider Conversation
The conference brings together justice sector professionals, academics, policymakers, educators and community leaders to share practice and build capacity for restorative approaches as the Virgin Islands explores how these approaches can be embedded across its criminal justice, education and public service systems.
Professor Gavrielides is contributing to this wider conversation, which reflects a core part of RJ4All’s vision: creating space for people, institutions and communities to listen, learn and work together towards systems that respond to harm in more constructive and meaningful ways through restorative justice.
Much of RJ4All’s evidence base for these conversations has been built close to home, through the Restorative Justice Postcode project at Rotherhithe Community Centre in SE16, South East London. For years, the project has explored what restorative justice practice looks like at street level and how it can work within local communities. That experience is now informing conversations nearly 7,000 kilometres away, as the Virgin Islands considers how restorative justice could become part of its own institutions. We look forward to joining conversations like this and sharing what we learn as the Virgin Islands’ programme takes shape.
If you are interested in partnering with RJ4All on restorative justice-focused webinars and/or conferences, please contact Professor Theo Gavrielides at t.gavrielides@rj4all.org
Media Contact: Communications Officer | l.nguyen@rj4all.org | Work phone available upon request
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Information for Editors
About Restorative Justice for All International Institute (RJ4All)
RJ4All is a charitable international institute with a mission to address power abuse, conflict, and poverty through the use of restorative justice values and practices. We do this through a combination of restorative justice projects delivered both internationally and locally at the RJ4All Rotherhithe Community Centre in London. We advance community cohesion, equality, human rights, and redistribute power by supporting civil society and delivering social justice and poverty relief projects, educational programmes and high-quality volunteering opportunities for marginalised groups.
For more information: https://rj4all.org/
