Dorset crime victims who visit perpetrators in jail are being paid to travel there out of the public purse.

The meetings are arranged by the Restorative Justice scheme with travel expenses met by the officer of the county’s police and crime commissioner.

Commissioner Martyn Underhill defended the decision at a meeting of the police and crime panel on Tuesday, saying that he believed the small cost of travel to prisons in a handful of cases was worthwhile for both the victim and those who committed the crime. He was not able to tell the meeting the annual cost of the visits.

The restorative justice system in Dorset works, as elsewhere, by bringing victims and perpetrators together. The psychological theory behind it is that it helps victims come to terms with what has happened to them and helps perpetrators to understand the effect their behaviour has had on others at a personal level – reducing the risk of them reoffending. In some cases it can be used as an alternative to offenders being prosecuted although participation in the scheme is voluntary and is based on the perpetrator accepting responsibility for what they have done.

Next week the county will be holding an event, on November 22nd, to mark a year of Restorative Dorset which will include talks by a number of people, including the Police and Crime Commissioner. It is being held as part on International Restorative Justice week.

A report to the police and crime panel on Tuesday noted: “The service has handled a number of complex and sensitive cases and noted a shift from mediation activity to pre and post-conviction restorative justice.”