Community Care-Community Responsibility - Community Participation in Criminal Justice Administration in New Zealand (From Justice Programs for Aboriginal and Other Indigenous Communities, P 96-120, 1985, Kathleen M Hazelhurst, ed. - See NCJ-100652)

• NCJ Number: 100658
• Author(s): K M Hazelhurst
• Date Published: 1985
• Length: 26 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Type: Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper describes a community juvenile justice program in West Auckland, New Zealand, that emphasizes court diversion, community-based penance and reform, interagency cooperation, and the building of community environments that counter delinquency.

Abstract

The Maori population in New Zealand has been particularly hard hit by unemployment, and those employed are usually in low-paying jobs. The children of these families are often influenced by criminogenic factors. Rather than turning these youth over to formal, punitive processing in the court system, West Auckland has sought to develop a network of community agencies to deal with the deprivations experienced by these juveniles. The Police Youth Aid Section identifies youth at risk and refers them to appropriate community services. Another innovation is the Te Atatu Maori Community Court, which deals with Maori juveniles who acknowledge guilt for a delinquent act. The court is both punitive and rehabilitative, as it structures consequences for the offenses but also guides juveniles into appropriate community rehabilitative programs. 32-item bibliography.