Callum* spent his 16th birthday in custody. He hated what he had done to end up there, and never wanted to go back. Participating in a Youth Justice Group Conference allowed Callum to apologies and take responsibility for his offending, and find support to move forward.
Youth Justice Group Conferencing enables a conversation between young people, victims and the police, aimed at diverting the young person from further or more serious offending. Jesuit Social Services has run group conferencing programs since 2008.
School hadn’t been easy for Callum: he left before the end of Year 9 and fell in with a friend who introduced him to crime. Within a year of his first offending, Callum found himself in a bedroom, facing a terrified woman he had woken up while looking for her car keys. Looking back on that night, Callum said he felt “ruined and horrified.”
“I think about it daily, I wish it never happened, it’s the worst thing I have ever done,” he said.
Callum was referred for Youth Justice Group Conferencing, which involved a group of 10 people including victims, his mother, the police, legal representatives and support workers. It gave Callum the chance to apologise in person to the people he harmed, talk about things from his perspective, and then listen to the impact of his offending.
Callum’s remorse was clear to the people who were harmed by his offending.
“To know that you are now determined to turn your life around is a great comfort to me – it turns something bad into something good. I do forgive you, I really do. I wish you well and pray every day that you will go forward, stick to your resolve and become an asset instead of a liability to our community,” one said to him.
Callum came out of the group conference with an agreed outcome plan, making commitments to enrol at a TAFE, avoid anti-social peers, re-engage with sport, and find mental health support. Three months down the track, Callum had not reoffended, and had multiple job offers.
“Callum’s story shows the value that restorative practices like the Youth Justice Group Conferencing program can have, not just for the young person but for the whole community,” said Community Justice Programs Manager Genevieve Higgins.
“He had reflected deeply on his offending while in custody and showed considerable remorse, but it was only through group conferencing that he was able to speak directly to the people harmed and apologise.”
- this participant’s name has been changed for privacy reasons.