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The Northern Irish Model of Restorative
JusticeTim Chapman
University of Ulster
Northern Ireland and Restorative Justice
Community system
Community restorative justice Ireland
Alternatives NI
School system
Children’s Services
Family Group Conferences
Children’s Units
State system
Low risk – Police restorative cautioning
Medium risk – Public Prosecution Service referral for diversionary conference by Youth Conference Service
High risk – Youth Court referrals to Youth Conference Service
Priority young offenders programme
Prison Service – rehabilitation and resettlement
Youth Conferences Statutory since 2003
Mainstream
Prosecution referred
Youth court referred
No cherry picking
Referrals and ratification by PPS or Youth Court
The Balanced Model
Harm
Community
Person responsible for harm Injured party
Community safety and reintegration
Reducing risk and working towards a better life
Accountability, protection and repairing the harm
Core Values
Responsibility
Relationship
Respect
Move away fromOut of fear
Be neglectfulIndifferentPassive
Avoidance
Do forOut of sympathyBe permissive
ProtectiveInterventionist
Rescuing
Do with
RespectBe restorative
InclusiveParticipative
Transformative
Do toOut of angerBe punitiveStigmatising
CoercivePunitive
Models of addressing challenging behaviour and its aftermath
High
Responsibility
Low Relationship High Adapted form McCold and Wachtel’s Social Discipline Window
The Youth Conference Process
Pre-Conference Conference Post Conference
The Dialogue Approach
Storytelling
Expression of emotion Dialogue on needs and action
Measuring Effectiveness
Over 9,000 Referrals
Year Court PPS Total
2006/07 793 503 1,296
2007/08 1,129 802 1,931
2008/09 792 844 1,636
2009/10 891 949 1,840
2010/11 YTD*
753 777 1,530
Total 4,358 3,875 8,233*February 2011
*2010/11 Apr - Dec
Increasing proportion of disposals, reducing custody,
reducing reoffending2006 2005
Baseline Disposal No. Re-Offending
Total % No. Re-Offending
Total %
Immediate Custody 29 41 70.7 43 59 72.9
Combination Order 6 9 - 7 16 -
Community Service Order 15 30 - 18 54 33.3
Probation Order 51 87 58.6 63 127 49.6
Attendance Centre Order 45 97 46.4 53 104 51.0
Community Responsibility Order 21 42 50.0 12 22 -
Community based disposals 138 265 52.1 153 323 47.4
Court Ordered Youth Conference
102 215 47.4 43 97 44.3
Div. Youth Conference Plan 63 223 28.3 23 75 30.7
All non-custodial disposals 452 1,110 40.7 409 1,091 37.5
ALL DISPOSALS 481 1,151 41.8 452 1,150 39.3
Outcomes for Youth Conferences
Number of youth conferences 9,000 +
Over 50,000 people have participated in a youth conference
Victim attendance; around 70%
Victim and young person satisfaction ; 90% and 95%
8 out of 10 victims prefer the youth conference to the traditional court process
100% victims would recommend conferences to others
94% successful completion of plans
England and Wales put three times as many young people into custody as Northern Ireland
Success Factors
Consistent practiceRobust research based practice model
Practice manual
Performance targets
Supervision
Commitment to professional development
Accredited training
Supporting the increasing demands of practice
CoursesThree modules
Undergraduate certificate
Postgraduate Certificate
Six modules
Postgraduate certificate
Postgraduate diploma
Nine modules or dissertation
Masters
StudentsOpen Course 23 students
Youth Conference Service 48 students
Police Service 80 + students
Community Restorative Justice 38 students
Prison Service 38 Students
Youth Justice Agency 66 Students
Priority Young Offenders Programme 30 Students
Family Group Conferences 40 Students
University Modules Foundation skills
Reflecting on Restorative Practice
Responding restoratively to people who have been harmed
Responding restoratively to people responsible for harm
Enhancing restorative skills
Family group conference practice and processes
Building a restorative society
Restorative responses to sexual harm
Restorative responses to serious and persistent harmful behaviour
The restorative prison
The restorative school
The restorative community
The restorative organisation
The restorative children’s home
Restorative practices and faith organisations
Effective PracticeExternal evaluation
Performance targets
Continuous improvement
Building Blocks
Consistent Practice
Competent Practice
Effective Practice
Innovative Practice
Challenges Ahead
YCS Referrals By Young PersonNo. of Referrals No. young
people% of young
peopleCumulative % of
young people
1 2,831 63.1 63.1
2 748 16.7 79.8
3 315 7.0 86.8
4 212 4.7 91.5
5 107 2.4 93.9
6 80 1.8 95.7
7 51 1.1 96.9
8 38 0.8 97.7
9 32 0.7 98.4
10 20 0.4 98.9
11-30 51 1.1 100.0
Total Referrals 8,995 - -
No. young people 4,485 - -
Priority Youth Offenders Project
Intensive relationship
Circle of Support and Accountability
Other challengesUpdating practice > revise practice manual
Rebalancing the state and community programmes
Prison reform
