1. The Northern Irish Model of Restorative Justice
Tim Chapman
University of Ulster

2. 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

3. Youth Conferences Statutory since 2003 Mainstream Prosecution referred
Youth court referred
No cherry picking
Referrals and ratification by PPS or Youth Court

4. The Balanced Model Harm Community Community safety and reintegration
Person responsible for harm
Injured party
Reducing risk and working
towards a better life
Accountability, protection
and repairing the harm

5. Core Values
Responsibility
Relationship
Respect

6. Models of addressing challenging behaviour and its aftermath
High
Do to
Out of anger
Be punitive
Stigmatising
Coercive
Punitive
Do with
Respect
Be restorative
Inclusive
Participative
Transformative
Responsibility
Move away from
Out of fear
Be neglectful
Indifferent
Passive
Avoidance
Do for
Out of sympathy
Be permissive
Protective
Interventionist
Rescuing
Low Relationship High
Adapted form McCold and Wachtel’s Social Discipline Window

7. The Youth Conference Process
Pre-Conference
Conference
Post Conference

8. The Dialogue Approach Storytelling
Expression of emotion Dialogue on needs and action

9. Measuring Effectiveness

10. 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
4,358
3,875
8,233
*February
*2010/11 Apr - Dec

11. Increasing proportion of disposals, reducing custody, reducing reoffending
2006
2005
Baseline Disposal
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
44.3
Div. Youth Conference Plan
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
1,150
39.3

12. 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

13. Success Factors

14. Consistent practice Robust research based practice model
Practice manual
Performance targets
Supervision

15. Commitment to professional development
Accredited training
Supporting the increasing demands of practice

16. Courses Three modules Undergraduate certificate
Postgraduate Certificate
Six modules
Postgraduate certificate
Postgraduate diploma
Nine modules or dissertation
Masters

17. Students Open 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

18. 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

19. Effective Practice External evaluation Performance targets
Continuous improvement

20. Building Blocks Innovative Practice Effective Practice
Competent Practice
Consistent Practice

21. Challenges Ahead

22. YCS Referrals By Young Person
No. of Referrals
No. young people
% of young people
Cumulative % of young people 1
2,831
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
100.0
Total Referrals
8,995 -
4,485

23. Priority Youth Offenders Project
Intensive relationship
Circle of Support and Accountability

24. Other challenges Updating practice > revise practice manual
Rebalancing the state and community programmes
Prison reform

25. Contact tj.chapman@ulster.ac.uk
Thank you
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