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Restorative Justice and Youth
Offending
The Youth Justice Board's publication Key Elements of Effective Practice:
Restorative Justice defines the key aims or outcomes of restorative justice
as:
- victim satisfaction - reducing the fear of the victim and ensuring they
feel 'paid back' for the harm that has been done to them
- engagement with the young person - to ensure that they are aware of the
consequences of their actions, have the opportunity to make reparation and
agree a plan for their restoration in the community
- creation of community capital - increasing public confidence in the
criminal justice system.
The basic principles include:
- putting things right and healing relationships, thereby giving high
satisfaction to victims and reducing reoffending
- ensuring that those directly affected by crime are involved in the process
and that their wishes are given careful consideration
- making positive outcomes for victim and community valid objectives,
alongside changes in behaviour and attitude of the young person
- addressing and being sensitive to particular cultural and special needs
and be based on anti-discriminatory practice, with an understanding and respect
for the diversity of different communities.
Restorative approaches that can be used within Youth Justice
are:
- Referral order youth offender panels
- Direct reparation that benefits the victim
- Indirect reparation unpaid work that benefits the community
- Restorative conferencing
- Family group conferencing
- Victim-offender mediation
- Youth restorative disposal - currently being piloted
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