Work with crime victims given thumbs up
Victims of youth crime in Warwickshire are praising a scheme which encourages them to meet with the young person who has committed the crime against them.
This is part of what is known as restorative justice which enables young people to apologise directly to their victims, through a letter of apology or through work to the benefit of the individual – with their permission - or a community.
Steven (his name has been changed to protect his identity) was a victim of a burglary last year and through Warwickshire’s Youth Offending Service was offered the chance to meet the perpetrator to find out why they targeted him.
He said: “I was a little sceptical at first but soon realised the benefits of meeting the offender and getting an apology. It has helped me understand why it happened and seems to be a valuable tool to stop re-offending.
“It could benefit others in a similar situation by putting a face to the crime and hearing their reasons for committing it.”
The Youth Offending Service also has a range of reparation projects that young people can carry out if the victim does not want to meet with the perpetrator, including community volunteering, arts workshops, conservation and wood work to name a few. Last year for example, young people were praised for work on an allotment project in Rugby.
Heather Shilling, Operations Manager (Interventions) at Warwickshire’s Youth Offending Service, said: “Our reparation programme helps divert young people from a life of crime by showing the consequences to their actions.
“We’ve had great support from local communities and they can see a real benefit to the scheme, not only to themselves, but the young people involved.
”If you have ideas for other community projects which could benefit from this type of work, please get in touch with us.”
For more information about the Youth Offending Service or for a list of the varied reparation projects available, visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/yot.