Page 4673 - Week 12 - Thursday, 1 November 2018

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follow up in the post-conference period, checking on participants’ wellbeing, monitoring the outcomes of agreements and reporting outcomes back to the criminal justice referring entities.

The guideline that I am tabling today will guide further understanding of how phase 3 matters will continue to provide voluntary opportunities for participation in restorative justice in a way which maximises the safety and empowerment of victims of crime and maximises the accountability and learning opportunities of people responsible for causing harm, especially gendered harm.

The restorative justice unit has worked diligently to ensure that it is well prepared to provide flexible, community-oriented, culturally competent and trauma-informed restorative justice responses for people harmed by sexual and family violence offences in a process that seeks to address the unique needs of its participants while holding the interests of victims and the accountability of offenders as high priorities.

I have, therefore, declared 1 November 2018 as the day that phase 3 of the restorative justice scheme commences. I take the opportunity to repeat that declaration today, as I table this guideline. Members, restorative justice is important because it provides victims of crime with an opportunity to have their voices heard and their stories listened to, following experiences of harm. The more severe the harm, the more important it is for victims to have access to justice options that include their voices.

Stakeholders and the broader community can be assured that the restorative justice unit conveners have been provided with best practice restorative justice training for general offences, and extensive training delivered by world-renowned trainers from New Zealand and Queensland in relation to domestic violence and sexual offences for both adult and young offenders and their respective victims. While restorative justice may not meet the needs of every victim in the criminal justice system, it does provide an opportunity for victims of crime to ask the tough questions, to understand the implications of an offence and to continue their journey of healing.

Bimberi Youth Justice Centre—headline indicators reports

Papers and statement by minister

MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Disability, Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Minister for Employment and Workplace Safety, Minister for Government Services and Procurement, Minister for Urban Renewal) (3.50): For the information of members, I present the following papers:

Bimberi Youth Justice Centre—Bimberi Headline Indicators Reports—

2017-2018.

March 2018—Updated October 2018.

I ask leave to make a statement in relation to the papers.

Leave granted.


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