Youth Diversion in Tonga

victoria-university-of-wellington

Wed May 30 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Youth Diversion in Tonga

Wednesday, 30 May 2007, 9:56 am
Press Release: Victoria University of Wellington

30 May 2007

Following last year’s riots in Tonga, Victoria University’s Institute of Policy Studies has been changing the lives of some of the young people involved.

As part of wider work with the Government of Tonga, the Institute has been involved in setting up a Youth Diversion Project based on restorative justice principles, says Research Associate, Dr Gabrielle Maxwell.

"The project was designed to enable many of the young people involved in the riots last year to be dealt with in the community in ways that make them accountable but avoid giving them a criminal record.”

Under the scheme, the police prosecutor can refer young people aged 17 years and under who are not involved in serious offending and who do not have a history of serious offending for Youth Diversion. A meeting is arranged with the ‘Diversion Panel’, which consists of representatives of the justice system, the community and the family of the young person.

At the meeting, attended by the young person, a parent or guardian, a police officer, and a support person chosen by the young person, the nature of the offending is discussed. If they take responsibility, a plan is developed to help repair the harm they have caused and avoid future offending. Provided the plan is completed, no conviction will be entered on their record.

Dr Maxwell says that, as of March 2007, a total of 42 young people who offended on 16 November 2006 aged between 12 and 18 years had been referred to youth diversion. “Of those, 34 were eligible for the programme and have attended diversion meetings and agreed to a diversion plan.”

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The plan acknowledges their responsibility, sets out ways to contribute to repairing the harm they caused and involves a programme designed to support their re-integration.

“In practice, this means that they have agreed to complete supervised community work, to attend a life skills training course offered by the Salvation Army or a youth programme in a relevant church, to be placed on curfew, banned from certain places, or attend school during the plan period.

Sean Buckley, a Master's student supervised by Dr Maxwell, visited Tonga in March to collect data for an interim report outlining the project's progress so far. "As of March, 15 of the young people had successfully completed their plan and 18 were in the process of completing. Only one had not completed the agreed-upon plan. All those involved are very pleased with the outcomes. They’re very grateful for the opportunity to make good their wrong-doing without damaging their future options.”

The Institute of Policy Studies has a number of related projects concerning law and government in Tonga, funded by the Government of Tonga and by NZAid.

Dr Andrew Ladley, project co-ordinator and Director of the Institute, was coincidentally in Tonga on the day of the riots and advised on emergency processes for stabilising the situation. He says the youth diversion project was extremely successful and could make a valuable contribution to Tonga's future.

"This pilot has worked so well, it is being considered for upgrading into a permanent part of the justice system which will involve further work for the IPS."

Dr Ladley is also developing principles and procedures for the operation of the Executive Government in a new Cabinet Manual.

ENDS

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