Family Conferencing for Young Offenders: the South Australian Experience (From Family Group Conferences: Perspectives on Policy and Practice, P 111-139, 1996, Joe Hudson, Allison Morris, et al, eds. - See NCJ-161303)

• NCJ Number: 161308
• Author(s): J Wundersitz; S Hetzel
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 19 pages
• Sale Source: Criminal Justice Press/Willow Tree Press
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

In 1994, following a review of its juvenile justice system, South Australia enacted legislation establishing family group conferencing and its philosophy of restorative justice as the central component of the system.

Abstract

Family group conferences were initiated by New Zealand in 1989 and are now being tried in other Australian jurisdictions. By the end of 1995, almost 1,600 family group conferences had been held in South Australia. These conferences entail a process of negotiation to determine the appropriate reparation for the offense. The negotiation involves not only the offender and the victim but also their respective families and social networks who have also been harmed by the offense. The process involves steps similar to those used in New Zealand. The goal is a fair outcome. The range of options includes paying compensation to the victim, community service, apologizing to the victim, and doing anything else that may be appropriate in the circumstances. The conference coordinator follows up on the conference by arranging community service placements or referrals for counseling, training, and employment. The preliminary results of the process are positive; a small pilot study revealed that 93 percent of the victims reported that participation in the conference was helpful. Figure, table, and 14 references