Restorative Justice: the way forward in tackling youth crime
Warwickshire’s Youth Justice Service is pleased that an independent report in to youth crime and anti-social behaviour in the UK has found restorative justice is a crucial way of dealing with it.
The Independent Commission on Youth Crime and Anti-social Behaviour conducted an in-depth 18 month study, called ‘Time for a Fresh Start’, which considered alternatives to the existing ways of tackling youth crime.
It suggests restorative youth conferences – modelled on procedures introduced in Northern Ireland – should be used with young people who have offended in all but the most serious cases.
It’s a view shared by youth justice services in Warwickshire, which have used restorative justice methods for a number of years through Youth Justice Panels.
Usually the young person has been referred by the courts and will attend a meeting with their parents or carer, a member of staff from the Youth Justice Service, trained volunteers and where willing, the victims of crime.
They will work on a contract for the young person to make up for what they have done and to promise to stay out of trouble in the future. If they don’t, they will face sentencing.
Heather Shilling, Operations Manager for Warwickshire Youth Justice Service, said: “We welcome the findings of the independent report and believe that these recommendations will go someway to reducing youth crime across the country.
“In Warwickshire, our programmes already address the issues behind the young person’s offending and to also help them understand the consequences of their crime.”
“Reparation is one of the ways they can do that. It could include an apology to the victim, unpaid community work, treatment for any underlying problems with drugs or alcohol for example, parenting support and a range of sanctions.
“We have very positive feedback from the young people who have offended, their families, and the victims who often benefit from attending the reparation.”
To find out more about Warwickshire’s Youth Justice Service, visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/yjs.