Another arm of the trust is Restorative Practice which does not involve crime but does involve minimising harm.
"It is about healing relationships," coordinator Debra Smith said.
"We have been working in schools for several years and we are really seeing the effectiveness."
The aim is to build and maintain positive, respectful relationships within schools involving students and staff.
"The practice extends beyond the schools and into homes and becomes intergenerational.
"We heard a wonderful story about an eight-year-old boy whose parents were arguing and he suggested a way for them to resolve their conflict using restorative practice.
"The mother was so impressed she called the school principal to find out more."
Cherie Johansson has recently started working alongside Smith in extending the practice into the wider community.
"As a schoolteacher, I found this way of working really effective and I'm pleased that it now has a name and is becoming embedded in communities."
The restorative model is now practised in early childhood education centres, workplaces, government departments, non-governmental organisations and the Whanganui District Council.
Restorative Trust facilitators are available to provide mentorship and the trust is working towards Whanganui becoming New Zealand's first restorative city where people are enabled to thrive and succeed together.