Cooperation Between Multiple Institutions in Estonia

In recent years, Estonia has seen significant developments in its legal and social systems, including in the field of victim support and restorative justice. For many years, the importance of cooperation between different institutions and specialists has been emphasised but has been difficult to implement in practice. However, in recent years, significant steps have been taken to achieve more effective cooperation and ensure that ‘no one is left behind’ in the system. An important development has been a shifting focus to providing clients with all the necessary services together, preventing them from falling through the cracks.

Estonia’s small size has brought an advantage – many specialists in the field are connected by a close network of cooperation. It has also enabled quick adaptation and the development of services, such as the implementation of restorative justice. In the early years, there was ignorance and sometimes even resistance, but today restorative justice has become a key element of the cooperation network.

Restorative justice in Estonia began to develop more seriously in 2020 when a large project from Norway supported several state institutions in developing and implementing restorative justice and/or special treatment for youth. With the support of this project, social services were established that combined victim assistance, police, prosecution, and school services to offer comprehensive support to people who have experienced crimes. The Social Insurance Board, as the leader in developing this service, started its journey in 2019 when its team was chosen to participate in a public servicedevelopment program aimed at creating an interdisciplinary team and starting the implementation of restorative justice services in Estonia.

Through the project, strong ties were built between the prosecution, police, and social services to ensure a holistic approach that would align with the protection of victims' rights, criminal proceedings, and the rights and needs of youth. The team included specialists from various fields – police, prosecution, child protection, schools, the legal system, and victim support workers. In collaboration, one of the first restorative justice services was created, where all parties shared their knowledge and experiences.

One of the biggest changes brought by restorative justice in Estonia was interdisciplinary cooperation with the prosecution and police. These services started working together in cases involving juvenile offences, offering restorative justice services alongside criminal proceedings. Initially, people were sceptical, but over time, this approach became a solution that, in addition to punishment, also offered a way to understand what the crime had meant to the parties involved.

After the initial success with juvenile cases, it was found that cooperation should also be expanded with the Children’s House to implement restorative justice in cases of sexual violence. The Children’s House has long been involved in supporting children and families, and they have close cooperation with child protection services, the police, and psychological counsellors.

The restorative justice service has been led by the Social Insurance Board in Estonia, but now there are also other institutions and specialists involved, raising awareness through training and offering services. Much of the service content and practice is supported by the contribution of various specialists who have built a strong network.

Although cooperation has brought many positive changes, it has not been an easy path. One of the biggest challenges has been the different approaches and understandings of professionals and service providers. Professionals from different fields – whether from the police, prosecution, or social services – may be used to working within their own domain, which has meant that this new and unconventional cooperation has taken time to reach a unified understanding and set common goals.

A particular concern has been that some specialists were not ready to accept completely new methods. Restorative justice offers solutions that go beyond punishment, seeking ways to resolve conflicts and promote the victim’s recovery. This has required cultural and practical changes in the legal system. Raising awareness has been important, and it is an ongoing task that must continue.

The cooperation of multiple institutions in the restorative justice service has led to significant positive changes. First, the accessibility of services has improved, and the protection of victims’ rights has been strengthened. Cooperation has also supported child protection workers, prosecutors, psychologists, and police officers, who have learned more about each other's areas of work and found new ways to enhance and improve their services.

Due to Estonia’s small size, specialists in the field are often familiar with each other, which creates a favourable environment for close cooperation. Since many officials and service providers know each other, it is easier for them to start working together and inform each other about the implementation of new approaches and services. This has had an important positive impact on the effectiveness of cooperation, as specialists can quickly reach out to each other, share knowledge, and support each other in providing complementary services.

The cooperation between different ministries, such as the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Education, is particularly effective in Estonia because officials are often familiar with each other and share common goals. This means that innovative services, such as restorative justice, can be implemented and rolled out more quickly, with ongoing feedback collection and service adjustments when necessary.

For example, when service providers, police, prosecutors, and child protection workers are aware of each other's work processes, they can better coordinate their activities and avoid duplication. Working together, it is also possible to resolve complex situations more quickly, where the contribution of various service providers is needed.

The close cooperation between ministries and specialists in Estonia creates a favourable basis for even more effective integration of restorative justice services, ensuring that all service areas can work efficiently together and offer support to victims and offenders throughout the process.

The cooperation between restorative justice and victim support services is certainly better in Estonia than in many other countries because restorative justice, as a state service, is placed together with victim support in the same department, both within the ministry and in the implementation unit. This makes it possible to integrate the services and raise awareness among specialists. However, there are certainly areas for development. It is easy to search for the meaning of restorative justice and equate it with something, without truly understanding its content and value. Presenting opportunities to both victims and offenders must be done equally, not based on the beliefs or awareness of specialists. There is still work to be done in this area.

The cooperation between multiple institutions in restorative justice and victim support services in Estonia has been successful and has led to significant progress. Different services have learned to improve each other's activities and cross their field boundaries. However, there is still much room for development and improvement in providing comprehensive and sustainable support to all those in need. Restorative justice has already proven its value in Estonia, and the next step is to offer these services to a wider target group and further develop service networks.

Annegrete Johanson is a restorative justice trainer, facilitator, and consultant. Based in Estonia, Annegrete is currently a trainer at NGO RuaCrew and a board member of the European Forum for Restorative Justice.

Published on the 18th of December 2024.