Youth justice conferencing history

Table of contents:

1997

Youth justice conferencing, formerly named Community Conferencing, commences in three Queensland locations (Palm Island, Ipswich and Logan) following amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act 1992.

An evaluation of the program, Making Amends: Final Evaluation of the Queensland Community Conferencing Pilot, highlights the successes of conferencing and recommends that it be expanded statewide. The Griffith University Centre for Crime Policy and Public Safety prepared this paper for the Department of Families.

The 2002 State Budget announces the allocation of an additional $2.4 million over the following two financial years to make conferencing available on a statewide basis.
As part of the statewide expansion, a youth justice conferencing service is established in Morayfield to service the Sunshine Coast, Redcliffe Peninsula and Caboolture (11 October 2002).

As part of the statewide expansion, further youth justice conferencing services are established in:
- North Queensland (13 January 2003)
- Far North Queensland—Cape York Peninsula and Torres Strait Islands (28 February 2003)
- Central Queensland (23 June 2003)
- Toowoomba and South West (25 August 2003)
- Mackay and Whitsunday (6 October 2003)
- Wide Bay and Burnett (1 December 2003).
The Youth Justice Conferencing program receives the 2003 Premier's Award for Excellence in Public Sector Management. The award is an opportunity for the Premier to recognise and showcase excellence in service, commitment to using a coordinated and collaborative approach, cooperation and information sharing, as well as engaging with Queensland communities.

The Brisbane/Gold Coast service expands into three separate services with two services based in Brisbane and one service based at the Gold Coast.
The number of referrals conferenced rises from over 1,040 in 2003 to 1,620 in 2004.

A review of youth justice conferencing service delivery and structure occurs to ensure ongoing quality service delivery into the future. The review results in the State Government providing for future demand through a revised service delivery structure. The revised structure includes:
- 29 new positions
- 13 primary service delivery offices
- four outposts located within regional and remote communities
- the Moreton service expands into two services, one based in Ipswich and one in Logan.

Youth justice conferencing services are provided by a statewide team comprising regional coordinators, service leaders, convenors, administration officers, resource officers, and central office staff. This structure was introduced as part of the Youth Justice Conferencing Review conducted in 2005.
The Caboolture/Sunshine Coast service expands into two services, one based in Maroochydore and one in Morayfield.
A trial commences of Conferencing Support Officers (Indigenous) to ensure that the program engages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in a culturally respectful and responsive manner.
Policy and procedures for managing youth justice conferences for offences of a sexual nature are formalised.
The use of conferencing in Queensland continues to rise since the programs statewide expansion from 1,620 referrals conferenced in 2004 to 1,910 in 2006.

The Conference Support Officer (Identified) trial successfully concludes with 7 positions recurrently funded and a further 2.5 trialled in urban areas.
The Mater Family and Youth Counselling Service is funded to provide specialist treatment services in the Greater Brisbane area to young people, their families and victims referred to a youth justice conference for offences of a sexual nature.
Citing international regard for the Queensland Government's restorative justice program, Project Concord (a restorative justice initiative lead by the Hong Kong Methodist Centre) seeks assistance to develop a similar program in Hong Kong. A collegial connection is established with Hong Kong personnel attending training in Queensland.

Additional Conference Support Officers (Indigenous) are recurrently funded through 11 of the 13 youth justice conference services to provide culturally appropriate services.
Representatives of Queensland's youth justice conferencing program travel to Hong Kong to deliver training seminars and assess convenor candidates.
The youth justice conferencing program is a finalist in the Department's 2008 Achievement Awards for Client Services.
Youth justice conference rates continue to rise from 2,100 referrals conferenced in 2007 to 2,350 in 2008. Participant satisfaction rates are maintained throughout the programs history with over 97% of participants, including victims, satisfied with the agreement reached and thought that the conference was fair.

The 'Youth Justice Conferencing Queensland - Restorative Justice In Practice (2009)' Manual is publically released.
Representatives of Queensland's youth justice conferencing program travel to Hong Kong to deliver training seminars and assess convenor candidates.
A variation to the youth justice conference process is trialled in limited locations aimed at increasing the participation of Indigenous young people at conference.
Amendments to Juvenile Justice Act 1992 passed by parliament in September 2009. Amendments include changes to improve workability of youth justice conferencing. For example, changes to ensure victims have the right to more than one support person at a conference.

Amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act 1992 commence 29 March 2010, including renaming of the act to the Youth Justice Act 1992.