A Leeds project where young offenders make amends to their victims is helping restore people’s faith in the justice system according to new research. Integrating Victims in Restorative Youth Justice by Adam Crawford and Tom Burden is published by the Policy Press and reports on a six month cohort of 250 cases in 2004. The authors surveyed all the young offenders given a referral order and all the victims contacted by the Youth Offending Team (YOT). In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of victims and offenders, and some parents as well as referral order staff.

Young people given a referral order attend a youth offender panel arranged by the YOT. The work of these panels is governed by the principles underlying the concept of restorative justice. Youth offender panels are made up of community volunteers and a youth justice worker. They are attended by the young person, his or her parents/carers and the victims where they wish to attend. The victim is encouraged to explain the impact of the offence on them, so that the young person realises the consequences of their actions. At the end of a panel meeting the young person agrees to a ‘contract’ stating what he or she will do to make amends to the victim and what activities, with the support of the YOT, will be undertaken to prevent further offending. Youth offender panels do much to advance the victims rights and service commitments set out in the government’s recently published ‘victims code’.

The research found that although victim involvement was time consuming and labour intensive it was extremely beneficial both to the victims and young offenders. Panels provide victims with an opportunity to have their say and explain their grief as well as contribute to the young person taking responsibility for their offending. Nearly half of victims contacted said that the experience had increased their respect for the criminal justice system and half of those agreed that it had helped to put the crime behind them.

Disappointingly, however, the research found that only about 15 per cent of victims choose to attend panels. This is something that the Leeds Service is seeking to address through the employment of dedicated Victim Liaison Officers, who act as champions of victims’ needs and rights within youth justice.

Victims who preferred not to attend panel meetings also got significant benefits from being kept informed about the resolution of their case and the subsequent work and compliance of the young person(s) concerned. Of the victims who had not attended a panel:

• More than three quarters agreed that contact with the service had provided them with a chance to have their say.
• Half agreed that the limited contact that they had had with the YOT had helped them to put the crime behind them.
• Nearly half agreed that the experience had been more positive than they had expected.
• Just over a fifth felt that the service had helped them to put their fears about the offence to rest.

Victims who did attend a panel had a generally favourable view of the outcomes written into the contracts although some were in favour of a more punitive approach; generally felt they had had a positive impact on the young person; and thought the overall process was a useful one.

The young people surveyed overwhelmingly agreed that the initial panel meeting afforded them an opportunity to express themselves, to be heard and to be involved in the deliberations. Nearly all the young offenders questioned said that the process was difficult for them, but it helped them understand the consequences of their actions encouraging them to take responsibility and to be accountable for what they did, and motivated them to stay out of trouble in the future.

In all, 87 per cent agreed that as a result of the panel meeting they had a clearer idea of how people were affected by their actions and 96 per cent agreed that the referral order was helping them to stay out of trouble.

The presence of a victim at a panel meeting appears to have a significant impact upon young people, notably in terms of their views regarding how people are affected by their actions, keeping out of trouble and their capacity to put the offence behind them.

Some comments from victims who attended panels:

‘I expected him to be a bit nonchalant, but he sat there and he cried. Me being there put him under pressure. I was very level. I wanted him to know that we’d lost out on trips we’d paid for, visits to clubs, my daughters dancing, because we didn’t have the car.’

‘It is a good thing, you think you’re going to get some form of justice for yourself. It’s a good thing for them [young people]. It’s a person’s car, not just a car that they’ve stolen. And they can see this… It’s a really good idea. Everyone deserves a second chance. If you’ve been caught… you deserve a second chance.’

‘This gives a bit of closure. I’ve been burgled, lost my car, had my car stolen three times; all the other times I felt bad, because I didn’t know what happened. It did give me a little bit of closure.’

Some comments from a young offender:

‘I was shocked that she turned up. I was kind of quiet at first. But when I started talking to her and when she discussed how she felt about it all, I kind of felt a bit better in myself that she actually turned up and came face-to-face with me.’


The full report is published by the Policy Press as part of its Researching Criminal Justice Series: Integrating Victims in Restorative Youth Justice by Adam Crawford and Tom Burden. See www.policypress.org.uk.

Copies can be ordered through: Marston Book Services, PO Box 269, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4YN, UK Tel: +44 (0)1235 465500; Fax: +44 (0)1235 465556’
Email: direct.orders@marston.co.uk; Website: www.marston.co.uk


Adam Crawford
March 2006