Porirua testing area for system

Press, 22 June 1989, Page 38

Porirua testing area for system

PA Wellington Porirua will be the testing ground in the next few months for the new youth justice system set out in legislation recently passed. The Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act, due to take effect in November, has moved away from the “welfare” model of treating delinquent youth to a "justice” model in which young people are held accountable for their behaviour. However, efforts will be made to keep young offenders out of the court system. Conferences will be held of family and relatives at which decisions are made on sanctions to impose and compensation for victims. Head office and local police and social welfare workers met at Porirua recently to discuss a test of the new pre-court procedures in July and August. Family conferences will take the place of Children’s Board and Youth Aid officer deliberations. An evaluation in Septembent of how resources nefeS to be reallocated

will be available to all districts. Social Welfare’s national youth director, Mike Doolan, said judges had shown support for the test. Family conferences had already been used to a certain extent in the Porirua area. Under the new legislation, the extended family has greater powers in deciding what is to be done with the young offender at a conference convened by a youth justice coordinator. The family decision is negotiated with the authorities. A decision on whether to continue with a prosecution in the new youth court arrangement in the legislation remains with the police. However, Social Welfare is committed to ensuring the final family group conference decision is carried through. The Youth Court judge then has access to information on what other action has been taken when making any judgment. Police powers of arrest and questioning are resti|pted under the rdw legislation. ~