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| On the Agenda | | | Video Conference |  |  | Family Group Conferences | | | | The Cost Of Crime To Economy | | | | A Refuge for the Victims of Trafficking In Women | | | | Vehicle Confiscation | | | | Automatic Electronic Enforcement Project | | | | Electronic Monitoring | | | | Prison Privatization | | | | Security On Public Transportation | | | | Israel-USA cooperation | | | | "City without Violence" Program | | | | Policing high school studies | |
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| Family Group Conferences In Youth Justice |
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| Family Group Conferences (FGC) In Youth Justice In Israel |
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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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