Achieving the diversion and decarceration of young offenders in New Zealand

Evaluates the achievement of key goals of the youth justice system as introduced in the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989, to divert young people from criminal proceedings and decrease the use of custody. Examines data from studies of 1003 young people who had family group conferences in 1998, and 1794 young people dealt with by the police in 2000/01, to determine the extent to which these goals are being achieved. Uses national statistics from the Ministry of Justice to compare patterns of youth offending and responses to it from before the Act to 2001. Finds that young people are being diverted and custodial options are less common than before the Act; that more young people are being made accountable for their offending than in the past; and that the seriousness of offending has not increased. Suggests greater use could be made of diversionary options through the police and direct referrals for family group conferences without compromising the extent to which young people are made accountable. Source: National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence.