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 Family Group Conferences In Youth Justice 
Family Group Conferences (FGC) In Youth Justice In Israel
Israel has been experimenting with Family Group Conferences (FGC) in Youth Justice for a number of years as an alternative for young offenders who have been indicted for breaking the criminal law. When the project planning began in 1998-9, a key requirement was to adapt the idea from its implementation overseas (based on the New Zealand model) to Israeli conditions and needs — our particular population mix, the structure of our law enforcement system and our care and rehabilitation systems.
By late 2000 fieldwork began, at first in only a handful of police stations; by 2004 it had been expanded to fourteen police stations around the country.

The heart and soul of the FGC program is a meeting or conference attended by the young offender, together with members of his extended family and other support-figures; by the victim of the offense, together with members of their extended family and other support-figures; and by community leaders and professionals --- among the latter, representatives of the Youth Section of the Israel Police and of the Youth Probation Service. Lastly, a trained ‘Coordinator’ prepares and conducts the meeting.

In general terms, the purpose of the meeting is:
  • To discuss the offense committed, its repercussions and implications for all participants --- that is, for society at large, for the offender, for the victim and for their families.
  • To lead to the young offender’s better understanding of his/her wrong-doing and to his acceptance of his responsibility for his actions.
  • To enable the offender together with his/her family to draw up a plan of reparation and rehabilitation that is acceptable to all participants.
If the participants at the meeting should succeed in agreeing upon a plan of action acceptable to all, and the young offender carries through the plan in full, then it is possible, based on a decision of the relevant authorities, for a formal charge not to be filed and thus to spare the young offender from having a criminal record.

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