News
Youth Justice Agency launches a joined-up approach to tackling youth crime in Coleraine (29/03/2007)
The Youth Justice Agency recently celebrated the official launch of two services which together deliver a joined-up approach to tackling youth crime in the Coleraine area.The first was the official opening of its Youth Justice Community Services premises in Coleraine. Part of a network of 24 other child related services operating across Northern Ireland Community Services is responsible for the delivery of effective locally based intervention services targeted at young people in conflict with the law.
It focuses on helping the child, their family and the local communities from which they come from by engaging directly with young people to prevent offending. Speaking at the official opening Alison Barber, Project Manager, Community Services, Coleraine said:
“We do not work in isolation but combine our efforts with a number of other statutory and voluntary agencies to provide the best service possible. In working in partnership with these agencies we are able to fulfill our obligations to meet the unique needs of the children within their own communities.”
The Youth Justice Agency’s Youth Conference Service, which facilitates conferences between victims of youth crime, young offenders, their families, members of the local community and the police youth diversion officer, was also officially launched at the event.
From December 2006, the Youth Courts and the Public Prosecution Service in the Coleraine area have been empowered to make referrals to the Youth Conference Service as a means of disposal.
During these conferences victims are able to meet the offender face-to-face and explain in detail the full impact that their crime has had. It also explores reasons why the young person committed the offence in the first place and a conference plan is agreed by all participants to allow the offender to make meaningful redress for their offending behaviour.
Commenting on the launch of the Service, Mary Jo McAllister, Assistant Director, Youth Conference Service said; “We are keen to increase participation by members of the local community at these conferences so that they can share their views on how crime affects the area and offer effective solutions to help prevent it.
“We are also forging relationships with the local Police, the Community Safety Partnership, the District Policing Partnership, the business sector and various local community and voluntary organisations to raise awareness of the work of the Youth Conference Service and identify possible opportunities for reparation in the local area,” she continued.
The Youth Conference Service and Youth Justice Community Services are both directorates of the Youth Justice Agency, which also encompasses the Juvenile Justice Centre for Northern Ireland.
The Agency aims to protect the public by preventing offending and re-offending by children, encouraging young people to recognise the effects of their behaviour and take responsibility for their actions.
It has a vision of having the lowest youth offending rates in the European Union by 2011.
- ENDS
Notes to Editor:
Community Services Information
- The Youth Justice Community Services Coleraine provides support in the North Antrim Youth Court Area and endeavours to provide a multi-model, relationship based systemic service aimed at preventing offending. It uses child centred, family focused and community based interventions to empower the Youth Justice Agency’s clients to take responsibility for their actions and make informed decisions regarding their future.
- Programmes of work are tailored to meet the unique needs of young people, incorporating individual and family work, educational support and accreditation, group work and diversionary activities.
- Within the project all staff work with the young people using a wide-range of different mediums to addressing their needs at an appropriate level.
- The work is not completed in isolation but is a combined effort made by statutory and voluntary agencies to provide the best service possible. The Youth Justice Agency Community Services directorate works in partnership with these agencies effectively to fulfill its obligations to the identified needs of the children within their own communities.
- In the last year the project has provided support services to 48 children and their families in the Coleraine area.
- The project continues to participate and contribute to the work of Coleraine Community Safety Partnership and Causeway Child Protection Panel..
Youth Conference Service Information
- The Youth Conference Service North West region covers the PPS and Courts in the Coleraine, Magherafelt and Londonderry areas.
- There are 5 Youth Conference Co-ordinators to cover the work in this area.
<< Go BACK
