Youth justice conferencing is about bringing together the people affected by a crime committed by a young person.
A youth justice conference is a meeting facilitated by a convenor. A conference brings the young person and their family together with the victim (if they wish to attend) as well as a police officer. The aim of a youth justice conference is for the victim, the young person and their family to come up with an agreement about how the young person can begin to repair the harm caused by the offence.
When a young person admits to an offence the police may make a conference referral instead of sending the matter to court. In some cases, a court will request that a youth justice conference takes place. A conference convenor helps everyone talk through what happened and how everyone has been affected.
The purpose of the conference is to:
- provide a safe, supportive environment to talk about what happened and to work out what the young person should do to put things right
- hold the young person accountable for their actions
- find ways to help repair the damage or harm that has been caused to the victim of the offence
- involve the victim, the young person's family and the young person themselves in making decisions about what should happen to repair the harm that has been caused
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