Youth Justice Agency of Northern Ireland

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We Are Not Brazil

… but we can still learn a few lessons from Dominic Barter, Co-ordinator of the Restorative Justice Project for the International Centre for Non-Violent Communication in Brazil

Restorative practices, such as those demonstrated in the Youth Conference Service, are employed throughout the world to help repair the harm caused by crime.

Colleagues from Community Services, Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre and the Youth Conference Service, as well as those working for the Public Prosecution Service, were given the opportunity to hear how restorative schemes are operating in Brazil during a master class delivered by Dominic Barter.

Originally from Britain but now living in Rio de Janeiro, Dominic is the creator of the “Circle” practice at the heart of Brazil’s restorative justice process. The event, held at Hillsborough Castle, focused on non-violent communication, giving an insight into the many challenges that Brazilian practitioners face in a dangerous society where the government has limited control.

Brazil, which has 2.8% of the world’s population, astoundingly has approximately 13% of the world’s murders. These are due largely to the violent nature of the shanty towns or ‘favelas’, run by armed adolescents and fuelled by drugs.

Dominic spent time within the shanty town areas, going bravely where no one had dared to visit before. From his research, he has developed a restorative system based on power sharing “circles”. The circles operate similar to youth conferences, bringing together those who have caused the harm (known in Brazil as the author of the act) with those who have been affected (the receiver of the act).

This method of non-violent communication centres around mutual comprehension. To get to this stage, the conversation goes back and forward as each member of the circle talks through their feelings and the others have to explain back their understanding of the feelings expressed. This continues until a powerful dynamic has been achieved whereby everyone in the circle is equal and there are no labels.

A strong element, and one that is currently being further developed in youth conferences here, is the presence of community representatives. They provide the ‘reality check’ in the circle and are able to suggest ways the author of the act can make amends to both the community and the receiver of the act. The community require concrete proof that there has been a change in the behaviour of the author of the act.

The circles are widely used in Brazilian schools to help combat low level crime and anti-social behaviour. Judges regularly visit to oversee the process and its development.

Unlike Northern Ireland where youth conferences are ordered by the courts and the PPS, anyone can request a circle meeting through signing up on school and community notice boards. Another marked difference is that victims of crime would have the first say in a circle, unlike youth conferences here, where the police statement is read followed by the young person’s interpretation of events.

“It was a useful opportunity to share and explore the subject of restorative practices. Even though we operate in different hemispheres, the principles, challenges and to some degree the background, are similar to those in Northern Ireland,” said Alice Chapman, Director of the Youth Conference Service.

The master class enabled all members of Agency and PPS staff to interact and further develop their understanding of what is undoubtedly a complex subject, but one which holds continued importance going forward in the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland.

August 2007