Mainstreaming Restorative Justice for Young Offenders through Youth Conferencing: The Experience of Northern Ireland (original) (raw)
Related papers
Youth and Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland: Developments in Social work with Offenders
Developments in Social Work with Offenders Eds Gill, 2008
To understand policy and practice issues relating to how young offenders (10-16-year-olds, increased to 10-17-year-olds in 2006) are dealt with in Northern Ireland it is necessary to know something of its history over the past 35 years. This history has two distinct phases – conflict and post conflict (McGarry and O’Leary 1995). The story of youth policy with offenders reflects the changing relationships of power between the statutory sector and local communities. This turbulent and complex history has challenged work with offenders and has created more than one social work model for Northern Ireland. This chapter will explain and describe four key paradigms that have emerged within policy and practice with offenders: 1. an inclusive model of intervention 2. a public protection model 3. a multi-disciplinary therapeutic model 4. a restorative justice model.
Restorative Youth Conferencing: Involving Victims in Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice Matters, 64(1), 2008
The Northern Ireland youth justice system is unique within unique within Europe due to its adoption of a mainstreamed restorative justice approach, which has been integrated through a process called ‘youth conferencing’. The following provides a brief overview of this approach to youth justice and considers some recent findings from the perspective of victims who were involved in this process
Laws
Since the establishment of Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) in England and Wales in 1999, all victims of youth crime, must, in accordance with national instruments, be consulted by YOTs as to their wishes and provided with the opportunity to get involved in a restorative justice (RJ) initiative. RJ should be the underlying principle for all youth justice disposals and victims must be invited to be part of the process. If, as evidenced and consistently outlined in guidance, policy and research, the fundamental principle of inclusivity and victim participation are imperative to RJ, then to what extent are YOTs in England and Wales ‘fully’ restorative? Drawing upon the findings of a larger empirical study, this article specifically examines the use of RJ in seven YOTs in England and Wales to demonstrate that RJ has not been fully integrated into practice nor widely embedded into YOT culture. Victims of youth crime, continue to be systematically excluded from RJ. This paper outlines the dis...
Alternative models of youth justice: lessons from Scotland and Northern Ireland
Journal of Children’s Services, 2011
Purpose Widespread criticism of the youth justice system in England and Wales has resulted in calls for it to adopt a restorative paradigm. This article reviews the historical development of youth justice in neighbouring Scotland and Northern Ireland. Design/methodology/approach The historical development of youth justice in Scotland and Northern Ireland is reviewed with a view to learning lessons from these two very different models, compared to the current model in England and Wales. Findings It is argued that those tasked with reforming the system in England and Wales must understand the underlying political, cultural and social contexts in which alternative models have developed and satisfactorily resolve the conflicting needs and rights of the offender versus those of the victim, community and wider public. Originality/value Transfer of policy and practice from other jurisdictions requires careful consideration of their political, cultural and social contexts but England and Wales may benefit greatly from adopting restorative practices similar to those in Northern Ireland. However, successful implementation will depend on political will and institutional infrastructure.
British Journal of Criminology, 2002
This article examines some recent attempts to introduce elements of restorative justice into the youth justice system. We focus on the introduction of referral orders and youth offender panels and, in particular, consider the issues of community participation and representation. In examining the early experiences of these new ways of working we highlight a series of questions that arise out of the tension between the participatory character of restorative justice and the managerialist nature of much contemporary youth justice in England and Wales.