“It was like a wake-up call for me that I had to change, I needed to stop doing bad stuff and concentrate on my future,” said Billy*. He had taken part in Jesuit Social Services’ Youth Justice Group Conference program. The process encouraged him to take responsibility and to make amends for his offending.
After moving to Darwin with his step-uncle and being suspended from school, Billy got involved with an older group of young people and drinking.
One day when he was drinking with them, they decided to break into a house. While they were fleeing with a bike, computer and alcohol, the homeowner Rick* came home. In his attempt to escape, Billy assaulted him before jumping the back fence and running off. Later that evening he was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery.
Since Billy had little contact with the youth justice system, the Darwin Supreme Court made a referral for him to take part in a Youth Justice Group Conference. The court hoped this would help him to better understand the consequences of his actions on Rick, his family and his community, as well as to address some of the harm caused by the violent robbery.
Jesuit Social Services delivers Youth Justice Group Conferencing in the Northern Territory and Victoria. Each group conference is led by an independent convenor.
“By bringing people together in a Group Conference, we talk about what has happened, to help put things right and move forward,” explains Clare Horsfall, Senior Manager, Northern Territory.
