What happens in a Youth Justice Conference?
A Youth Justice Conference is more than a discussion. It's about moving forward. See how conferencing works, and learn about what each party needs to do to participate.
How does a Youth Justice Conference work?
A Youth Justice Conference is a respectful discussion between the victim, the young person, and other participants such as support people. A convenor manages the discussion to ensure that each side is treated fairly, has an opportunity to speak, and an outcome is reached.
Introduction
The Conference participants introduce themselves and explain their role to the group.
Discussing the offence – young person and victim
The victim and the young person are invited to tell their stories. The victim can explain how they have been affected by the crime, and can ask questions about the offence. The young person will be asked to talk about the events that led to the offence, and what happened during and after the offence.
Discussing the offence – other participants
The other people in the group such as caseworkers, police and support people will be invited to talk about the offence and its impact.
Options for resolution
The convenor will invite the participants to discuss what the young person can do to try to repair the harm they have caused and to help stop the young person from re-offending.
Discussion time
The young person and their support person(s) are invited to a private area to discuss the ideas together.
Working together to create an outcome plan
The young person, victim and other participants discuss and agree on the outcome plan tasks and any support needed to help the young person complete these tasks.
Final agreement
The young person and the victim are the only participants who can remove, or say no, to any of the outcome plan tasks. If the tasks are all agreed to, the convenor will write up the outcome plan and the young person will sign it.
All conferences finish with a chance to share refreshments.
After the Conference
The young person must work on the tasks in the outcome plan until they have completed all of them. A Youth Justice caseworker will check the progress of each task and provide support if it is needed.
If the outcome plan is not completed
The case will be returned to the police or the court. If the young person has any problems completing the plan, they should ask Youth Justice for help. Young people who need assistance completing their plan should contact their local Youth Justice Community Office.