Summary
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This essay describes a model of dealing with young offenders: the Family Group Conference (FGC): and considers its broader implications. The FGC has been operating throughout New Zealand and, in a modified form, in parts of Australia. Under the guidance of a police officer, welfare worker, or representative of the juvenile court or justice department, the juvenile offender is brought face-to-face with his or her victim, and both individuals are accompanied by family members, guardians, peers, or significant others. The insistence on collective, community involvement in the search for reparation is what sets the FGC model apart from similar programs. The conference is designed to strengthen the internal and external social controls; help to identify problems of dysfunctional families; and provide a more satisfactory outcome for victims, offenders and police.
Link: www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/cje/html/sample2.html
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