Visitor sings praises of NZ use of restorative justice

A British expert on policing and criminal justice has praised New Zealand's family group conferences as a method of dealing with young offenders.

Sir Charles Pollard, former Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, at present chairman of the Justice Research Consortium and youth justice expert, is speaking to New Zealand police this month about crime and policing issues.

Family group conferences were an example of restorative justice, Sir Charles said.

Where courts dealt with the legal implications of a crime, restorative justice dealt with the social and emotional harm, in a way courts could not.

It brought together the offender, the victim and each party's supporters, "in a face-to-face meeting where the offender is held directly and personally to account for what they've done, by the person they've harmed", Sir Charles said.

"Not always, but usually there will be very huge remorse shown, apologies and an agreement about what the offender is going to do about it - in terms of payback to the victim, and their future conduct," he said.

"Most people in New Zealand don't realise that New Zealand were the great pioneers of restorative justice in the Western world."

Sir Charles said New Zealand's family group conferencing scheme, which is for "youngsters who are at the more serious end of crime", was largely successful.

Family group conferences came under fire last month from National Party courts spokesman Tony Ryall, who said some young offenders were playing the system.

"Frankly, having the family members coming around for the umpteenth time sitting around holding hands singing Kumbaya is not going to stop anyone reoffending," Mr Ryall said.

Sir Charles said it was common for people who had not experienced restorative justice to see it as a soft option.

"Until you've observed a conference it's very difficult to get into one's mind the very big emotions which a restorative justice conference creates, and the massive motivation for change that that emotion causes."

The victim has the chance to have his questions answered, put the crime behind him and get on with his life.

For the offender it is "a very sharp way of learning about consequences, when you're faced with a person you've harmed".

In England Sir Charles runs an observer scheme where, if participants agree, people can watch restorative justice conferences from the sidelines.

"At least 99 per cent have come out saying 'this is a really important thing we should do more of'."

He also praised the police's "problem-solving policing" initiative.

"It's a great strength in New Zealand that police work with communities.

"Problem-solving policing is taking it one stage further to really drill down into what's causing crime, and trying to find solutions to it.

"They're doing some good work on that, and restorative justice is another tool they may find useful."

Sir Charles said that without restorative justice the system was just "picking up the pieces".

 

- NZPA