Participant Satisfaction with Youth Justice Conferencing

• NCJ Number: 243942
• Author(s): Paul Wagland; Bianca Blanch; Elizabeth Moore
• Date Published: June 2013
• Length: 16 pages
• Sale Source: New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: NSW Crime and Justice Bulletin, No. 170

Annotation

This study evaluated offender and victim satisfaction with New South Wales' Youth Justice Conferences.

Abstract

This study, conducted by the New South Wales (NSW) Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, evaluated offender and victim satisfaction with the Territory's Youth Justice Conferences. Offender and victim satisfaction were measured at two distinct times: immediately after conference participation and 4-months after the conference date. Findings from the study include the following: immediately after the conference, 85 percent of offenders and victims reported being satisfied or very satisfied with most aspects of the conference; at the 4-month follow-up period, almost 73 percent of victims were satisfied or very satisfied with how their case had been handled; and more than 87 percent of victims reported in the follow-up that they would recommend youth justice conferencing to other victims of crime. Data for the study were obtained from a self-reported survey of 263 offenders and 141 victims. Offenders completed a survey immediately following conference participation while victims completed two surveys: one immediately following conference participation and at 4-months after conference completion. The baseline surveys included questions on overall satisfaction with the conference and how well the case was handled. The follow-up surveys repeated the questions asked at baseline as well as questions on the victim's satisfaction for the time it took for the conference to be held, the overall satisfaction with the conference process, whether the offender had apologized, and whether the specific tasks agreed to in the outcome plan were carried out by the offender. These findings indicate that both offenders and victims have been highly satisfied with NSW's Youth Justice Conferences, and that victims have been highly satisfied with the outcome plans developed during the conferences. Study limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed. Tables, references, and appendix