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Goggins hails Pioneering Youth Conferencing Service (21/02/2008)
Northern Ireland’s pioneering Youth Conference Service is helping victims of crime come to terms with their ordeal by coming face to face with their offender, Criminal Justice Minister Paul Goggins MP, said today.The conferencing service provides the victim with a platform to express the impact of the crime committed against them and gives the offender an insight into the consequences of their actions, the Minister added.
He was welcoming the positive report by Criminal Justice Inspector Kit Chivers on the Youth Conference Service, an integral part of the Youth Justice Agency.
Paul Goggins said: “Youth conferencing is a powerful catalyst for change and we are grateful to the victims who have participated.
“The conference gives the victim the opportunity to tell the offender how their actions have impacted on their lives.
“It can also bring home to the offender the damage that they have caused and identify ways to address their behaviour.
“I welcome the Chief Inspector’s strong support for the principle and value of youth conferencing to the Criminal Justice System.
“The conference service has been refined and developed to the point where independent evaluation and international experts now regard it as a world leader in addressing, in a balanced way, youth crime, the concerns of victims and the safety of communities.
“I welcome the acknowledgement by the Chief Inspector of the total commitment and dedication of staff in providing a restorative system that works for both young offenders and victims and the focus on getting the balance right.”
Bill Lockhart, Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Agency said:
“It is gratifying to see the good practice of the Youth Conference Service recognised by the Criminal Justice Inspectorate. The staff concerned can feel justifiably proud.”
ENDS
To download the CJINI Report in PDF Format, please click here.
Note to Editors
The idea of youth conferencing is to give young offenders the opportunity to understand and made amends to their victims for the consequences of their offending and to take steps to stop future crime. It was launched in the Greater Belfast area in December 2003 and gradually expanded across Northern Ireland with the last areas going live in early December 2006.
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