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Diverting Young Offenders from the Formal Justice System

Heslop, J
June 4, 2015

Source: (1991) In: J. Vernon, S. McKillop (eds.), Preventing Juvenile Crime Conference Proceedings No. 9. Canberra, AUS: Australian Institute of Criminology, pp. 81-87.

Two alternatives to institutionalization for juvenile offenders, police cautioning and the juvenile and mediation reparation programs, in New South Wales are described. A caution is a formal procedure in which the offender admits to the commission of a less serious offense and agrees to participate with a parent or guardian in the caution process at a police station. In the mediation/reparation program, young offenders are encouraged to make direct amends to the victims of the crime. Any agreement between the two parties is monitored by the Community Justice Center. Benefits are incurred in this type of program for the victim, the young offender, the community, and the police.

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