GROUP 2
BEST PRACTICES IN COMMUNITY-BASED TREATMENT OFJUVENILE OFFENDERS
Chairperson

Mr. Amin Ali Ibrahim Inabi(Palestine)

Co-Chairperson

Ms. Rajapakshage Sunethra
Gunawardhana(Sri Lanka)

Rapporteur

Ms. Phyllis Yolanda Beckles(Barbados)

Co-Rapporteur

Ms. Yukiko Kudou(Japan)Ms. Bitsang Joyce Matshego(South Africa)

Mr. Martin Tongamp(Papua New Guinea)

Mr. Masamichi Noda

(Japan)Mr. Hideo Yoshioka(Japan)Ms. Chomil Kamal(Singapore)

Mr. Rob Allen(United Kingdom)

Members

Visiting Experts

Advisers

Dr. Alan W. Leschied(Canada)Prof. Kei Someda(UNAFEI)

Prof. Sue Takasu(UNAFEI)

Prof. Mikiko Kakihara(UNAFEI)

I. INTRODUCTION
Globally, the latter half of the lastcentury has found those of us responsible
for the care, protection, andrehabilitation of juvenile offenders, facedwith phenomenal challenges, vis-a-vis anincrease in criminal activity as well as
the d an gero us nature of them . It is
recognized that stiffer penalties are notnecessarily the required response at thistime, despite the public call for such.
Empirical research has shown thatstiffer penalties do not reduce crime(Andrews et al.,1990). Research suggeststhat community-based treatment is am ore effe ctive w a y to me et the be stinterests of the juvenile and increase
community safety (Lipsey and Wilson,
1998).

298

The Convention on the Rights of theChild indicates that the deprivation ofliberty of children should only be used asa measure of last resort, and when used,
only for the shortest appropriate duration(Article 37). The group agrees that inco n sid e rin g ho lis tic r eh abilit atio n,
c o m m un i ty - b a s e d tr e a tm e n t i s th e
pre fe rred op tio n, w ith institutiona ltreatment being a last resort.
Institutional treatment is not an
e co n o m ica lly v ia b l e o p ti on a n d t hestresses and other disruptive elements
which it brings to family life are lessdesirable.
Several countries—Barbados, Papua
New Guinea, South Africa and Sri Lanka
to mention a few—still have been unable
to comply with the Convention on the
Rights of the Child and the Standard
Minimum Rules for the Administration of

118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSEREPORTS OF THE COURSE
Juvenile Justice, and with the United
Nations Standard Minimum Rules for
non-Custodia l Mea sures (The Tokyo
Rules). This has been partly a result of
economic and political reasons amongst
others. Whatever the barriers to full
implementation, the group recognizes theneed to urgently meet the challenge of
decreasing youth crime and supporting
the United Nations agreement.
The group agreed that goo dmanagement systems (individual andorganizational) are imperative to promote
success from rehabilitative efforts. Staff
training and programme developmentm u s t b e o n a c o nt i n uo us b a s i s a n dresearch to cater to changes in both of thea b ov e w he n e ve r n e ce ss a ry m ust b e
conducted.
The group considered too that thecommunity consists of invaluabler es o urc e s w hi ch c a n b e ta p p ed a n dutilized to enhance rehabilitative efforts.
Success of the goals of prevention offurther crime and recidivism demands
vibrant public relations endeavours.
II. DESIGNING A MODELIn deliberating on the preferred model
for community-based treatment ofoffenders, mem bers of group 2
un a nim ou sly a gre ed on the ne ed to
identify a few guiding principles. These
principles were themselves guided by anappreciation of the multidimensional andcomplex nature of youth offending andthe need to draw on the expertise of abroad base of knowledge in thecommunity, if accurate assessments andappropriate treatme nts are to bedelivered.

A. Principles
T h e p ri nc ip l e s u n d e rp in nin g o ur
prop osed mod el of community-based
treatment are as follows:(i)

The preferred option, in as many
instances as possible, is to divert
youth at the pre-court or at the court
stage;(ii) That there should be a Multidisciplinary Team to work on the besttreatment options that will address
the needs of the juvenile to help him
or her to remain in the community;(iii) That the Multidisciplinary Teamshould leverage on the availability ofcommunity resources to support thejuvenile in conflict with the law;(iv) That the system should be one ofthrough care for continuity of careand supervision of the juvenile.
The group also discussed how to define
a juvenile. The minimum age of criminal
responsibility varies from country tocountry. We have in part concluded thatdefinition should be considered not only
by age but by their developmental stage.
B. Multidisciplinary Team
1. The Purpose
The purpose of the Multidisciplinary
Team is to assess and decide upon thebest interests of the juvenile through them a xim um u tilization o f co m m unity
resources by drawing on the expert views
and opinions of professionals from diverse
backgrounds. The overall goal of the teamis to identify programmes that decreasecriminal behaviour and increase personal
responsibility.
The Multidisciplinary Team treats ajuvenile consistently in the communitybased treatment through all the formal
and informal judicial stages. This will
include pre-court diversion, court

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 59
diversion and court d ispo sition(probation, community order and othertypes of disposition implemented in thecommunity), as well as following releasefrom correctional institutions (parole,
aftercare and so forth) . The
M ultidisciplinary Team provides
supervision and support at all of theabove-mentioned stages based on the ideaof through care.
Figure1 illustrates the model system ofcommunity-based treatment and the roleand functions of the participants.
2. Composition of the TeamMe mb ers of the Multidiscip linary
Team may vary based on the needs of thejuveniles, the stage of juvenile justicesystem a nd d iversity of the juvenile
justice system and child welfare systemin the relevant countries. The probation
officer (child welfare officer) ought to bethekey
personnelintheM ultidiscip linary Te am throu ghoutcomm unity-based treatment. A
comprehensive example of thecomposition of the M ultidisciplinary
Team could be: Probation Officer, Welfare
Officer, Psychologist/Psychiatrist, Social
W orker, G uida nce Co unselor/School
Teacher and Religious Worker.
3. Function of the Multidisciplinary
Team
The
basic
function oftheMultidisciplinary Team is to collectively
assess the juvenile, to devise a treatment
plan which meets the best interests of thejuvenile, as reflected in the knowledge ofa w i d e r a n ge o f p r o f e s si o na ls f ro m
relevant areas.
The team plays a central role in thecommunity-based treatment of juveniles
in terms of assessment of needs and risksof a juvenile, planning of treatment or
programme,monitoring
the

300

im p le m e nt a tio n o f su p e rv isio n a nd
support throughout the juvenile justicesystem.
4. Role of the Probation Officer
The Probation Officer serves as thecare manager of the Multidisciplinary
Team reporting to the court the progressof the juvenile.
C. Informal Procedure (Diversion)
All juveniles at a certain age should bediverted to an informal procedure formeeting the needs of care and protectionof juveniles. Some juveniles also may bediverted from police, prosecution and thecourt stage based on the seriousness of
their offence.
V a rio us k inds o f pr ogra m me s a re
a d m in is te r e d b y t he P o lic e , C o u r t,
Probation Service, NGOs and the private
secto r. The M ultid iscip lin ar y T ea massesses needs and risks of a juvenile andtries to find the available programme
which best fits the juvenile’s needs.
The group proposes a m odel ofprogramme designed for inform alprocedure such as a six-month period
programme, w ith flexibility for earlytermination for juveniles who show good
progress and are not in need of further
supervisio n base d o n the Singap ore
system. Flexibility of term is to reward
good behaviour and render an
opportunity for juveniles to leave theprogramme early. The key elements tosuccessful completion are regularattendance, punctuality, progress, anddeportment and full participation in theactivities.
If a juvenile fails to make good on his/her chance given to attend the informal
programme, there will be recourse tobring him or her to court.

118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSEREPORTS OF THE COURSE
D. Treatment Programme
1. Types of treatment programmes
Each community has various kinds oftreatment programmes. Actually, in our
gro up discussion, many typ es ofprogra mmes w ere introduced b y theparticipants of the respective countries.
There is a range and number ofprogrammes available in the respective
countries.
The following are some examples of the
programmes. The community resourcesthat provide each of them areparenthesized.
(i)empirical evidence of sufficienteffectiveness for the juve nile’s
rehabilitation.
In this regard, we referred to the metaanalysis on effectiveness of different
treatment types by Lipsey and Wilson(1998). According to their findings, theeffective types of treatment are
individual counseling, interpersonal
skills training, behavioral programmes,
multiple
services,
restitution,
em plo yme nt/a ca d em ic p rogr am m es,
advocacy/caseworkandfamilycounseling.
Most of the programmes that we arerecommending are consistent with thefindings from the meta-analysis.
However, adventure/sports, mentorshipand fo ste ring a re excep tions. Thesepr og ra m me s ne ed to b e e mp iric a lly
evaluated in the future.

Individual Counseling (NGOs, Clinic,
Health Center, Private Psychologist)(ii) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ((NGOs,
H e alt h C e nt e r, C l in ic , Pr iv at e
Psychologist)(iii) Family Therapy ((NGOs, HealthCenter, Clinic, Private Psychologist)(iv) Drug Treatment (NGOs, HealthCenter, Clinic, Private Psychologist)(v) Literacy Skill Training (NGOs,
Public School, Volunteer Probation
Officer)(vi) Vocational Training (NGOs)(vii) Promotion of Employment (Cooperative Employer, Volunteer Probation
Officer [VPO])(viii) Restorative Programmes such as
Victim Offender Mediation, Victim
Impact Panel, Family Group
Conferencing (NGOs)(ix) Community Service Work (NGOs)(x) Adventure/Sports (NGOs, Sports
Bodies)(xi) Mentorship (VPO)(xii) Supervision (VPO)(xiii) Fostering (NGOs)

3. What works best for whom?
Although there are many generally
effective programmes, none of them work
equally well with all juveniles. While forcertain juveniles, some treatments work,
but they will not work for others, and fora third group, they may even get worse asa result. Therefore, it is crucial to adopt
programmes that are empirically related
to the juvenile’s risks and needs. Suchprogrammes have a stronger likelihood of
successful rehabilitation of the juvenile.

2. What Works?
W h en se le ctin g a p ro gr a m m e, w eshould consider its effectiveness. That is,
we should adopt a programme that has

It is important to emphasize that thistable is not all-inclusive and therefore it
sh o u ld n o t b e a p p l i e d w i t h o u t d u econsideration to the complex situations

We identified the relevancy between
ri sks /needs and program mes, inaccordance w ith Visiting Expert D r.
Leschied. Table1 shows whichp r o g r a m m e s a r e l ik e l y t o t a r g e t ajuvenile’s specific risk and need.

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 59
th at m ost juve niles fa ce . R is k/ne e dfactors of juveniles are multidimensional
and influence the extent and the type ofprogrammes that should be used.
4. The role of the Multidisciplinary
Team at the Court Stage
The Multidisciplinary Team adopts a
broad perspective for assessment. The
team gathers information from various
sources, considers them from all aspects,
and identifies a juvenile’s risk and need.
Secondly, the team selects ap r o g r a m m e t h a t i s m o s t c l i n i c a ll y
relevant to the juvenile’s risk and need.
The team must have knowledge of theavailable programmes in the region. In
t h is r e g a r d , t he t e a m ha s a st ro n gconnection with community resources,and naturally knows what programmes
are available. This is one of the greatest
a dvantages of the Multid isciplinaryTeam.
5. The Legal Framework
These programmes are carried out in alegal framework, namely dispositions
such as Probation, Intensive Supervision
Probat ion , Fines/Restitu tion, an dCommunity Service Orders. The Judgedecides upon the disposition in which thetreatment programme is expected to mosteffectively function. Probation officers
supervise and manage the programme.
E. Limitations to Implementation
The group agreed on the usefulness oft he M ultid is cip lin ary T e am f o r th e
through care of juvenile delinquency.
However, limitations to implementationof the team vary from country to country.
The two most common barriers in all ofo u r c o u n tr i e s a re : a tt it u d e s o f t h ejudiciary, lack of cooperation and support
among ministries/departments, internal
departments, divisions and sections of302

ministries/departments, that are charged
with the care of the juvenile.
Especially in developing countries, thelack of training for professionals andhuman resources as well as geographicaland transportation problems also present
as diffic ulties. To overcome thesebarriers, conscious reform is not onlya g e nc y r e la te d , b u t sh o u ld e q u a ll y
involve the community. It is to be hopedthat in the near future, implementationo f the m o d e l w ill b e r e al ize d in a ll
countries.
III. OPERATIONAL ISSUES
A. Staff Training
1. Objects
T he gro up d iscusse d the tr ain in g
systems for Probation Officers and others
involved in community-based treatmentof juvenile offenders as practiced in the
UK, Singapore, Japan, Palestine,
Barbados, PNG, South Africa, and Sri
Lanka.
A model system for community-based
rehabilitation of juvenile offenders needs
to be supported with a training systemthat will equip each officer with corecompetencies to execute proper care andsupervision of juveniles according to bestpractice standards.
To achieve this, it is important
the refo re that staf f b e given p ro per
training, instruction and guidance to:(i)Clarify their responsibilities withr e g a r d t o t h e r e h a b i l i ta t i o n o foffenders and to ensure that theoffenders’ rights as well as that ofsociety’s are protected;(ii) Understanding the vital need tocooperate and coordinate activities
with all the other agencies concerned

118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSEREPORTS OF THE COURSE
w it h th e re h a b il it a t io n o f e a c hjuvenile;(iii) Continually maintain and improvetheir knowledge and professional
capacity by attending relevant inservice and other training
programmes.
2. Model Training System
It was noted that the entry point for
Probation and other community-based
corrections staff vary from country tocountry. Thus, the Group proposed that amodel of in-service training programmes
should be co mpetency-based inaddressing the training needs ofProbation Officers in stages starting fromfoundation or basic training for Probation
Officers to specialized training aimed at
helping the worker to achieve higher
levels of competency. The training would
be designed to foster the development ofskills in the 4 major areas of a Probation
Officer’s core functions, namely:(i)Collecting information, i.e. interviewing & conducting psychological tests(ii) Analyzing the information and making an assessment(iii) Report writing(iv) Coordination and working with key
constituents (elements) of thejuvenile justice system including
forging effective partnerships withvolunteers a nd other comm unity
resources.
3. Mode of Training
From the sharing among participants
and Visiting Experts, it was clear that
there was merit in a training programmethat combines formal learning with groupw ork and experiential lea rning. The
training should also be an opportunity for
officers to go back to their jobs to apply
the knowledge and skills learned. There
should also be a recall after training for
officers to return to the training instituteor o the r a ge nc y re sp on sib le f o r the
training, to reflect on their practice. Also
evident was the need for formal training
to be supported by mentorship at thewo rk pla ce to reinfo rce lea rning andsharing of best practices.
In some countries, the adoption of a
one-to-one supervision policy was felt tobe a good mechanism for staff supportand development in this very challenging
area of work.
Due to the emphasis on a through care
concept for the model system ofco m m u n it y- b a s e d r e h a b il it a t io n o fjuvenile offenders, the Group saw meritin the UK system of having staff fromboth community and institution-based
corrections to have their training (or atleast part of the training for institution
staff) side by side w ith counterparts
working on community-based treatment.
The group also noted the difficulties
arising with the designed training model.
In some countries (e.g.: Sri Lanka, South
Africa, Papua New Guinea), the officers
or v olu nte e rs se rve in und e ve lop e dvillage areas, and travel long distances tothe city, to participate in the training
programm es. Due to the poortransportation facilities, communications
problems in those areas, the participation
may be low, therefore the effectiveness ofthe training courses will not b e a t asatisfactory level. However, if we design
programmes for implementation in rural
areas, finding resource persons (trainers)
is a ls o v e r y d if f i c ul t . I n d e s ig n i ng
training programmes, all these factors
mu st be taken in to consideration.
Counter-measures will be discussed in
section 5.
4. Training Curricula
Basic or Initial Training

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 59
The Group proposed the following forthe basic or initial training:(i)Community-based corrections theories and philosophy(ii) The legal framework of communitybased corrections(iii) The relevant laws, statutes andinternational human rights
instruments, e.g. Convention on the
Rights of the Child, Tokyo Rules etc.
(iv) Motivational interviewing(v) Needs and risk assessment, diagnosis and risk management(vi) Preparing reports for Court(vii) Case recording and case management(viii) Rehabilitation
programmes
andresources(ix) Relationship with other elements of
the juvenile/criminal justice system,
including court work skills, working
with other law enforcem ent
agencies, etc.
(x) Skills in forming effective partnerships with VPOs including volunteer
support, recognition and development
strategies(xi) Policies and procedures in relation
to PO’s job description(xii) Authority,
accountability
andresponsibilities associated with theoffice practice(xiii) Skills required to work with clients
including special groups within the
Probation Service(xiv) Communication and interpersonal
skills(xv) Code of ethics and professional liability(xvi) Boundaries or parameters setting;e.g. where Probation Officers cansafely say he/she has done his/herb e s t f o r a j u v e n i le a n d t h e
responsibility ends there(xvii) Professional and personal relationships with persons under supervision304(xviii)Relationships
withcolleagues(peers and subordinates)(xix) Creation and maintenance of a safeand harassment-free workplace(xx) Victim’s rights(xxi) Offender’srightsandresponsibilities

Specialized Training
Besides the generic training at a basic
level, the Group also saw the need forfurther training depending on the area(s)of specialization and specific treatment
issues that a community-based
corrections staff needs to address beyond
his/her early years in Service.
Programmes that have demonstrated
effectiveness will require personnel to begiven proper training and guidance inp r o g r a m m e d e li v e r y t o e n s u r e t h e
integrity of the program mes arepreserved. Thus, for staff involved in thedelivery of cognitive behavioral
programmes, multi-systemic therapy etc.,
will require specialized training.
Training for Supervisory Staff
The training system should also allow
for the gradual phasing in of technicallycompeten t P robation Officers to a
manager if she/he has been identified ashaving the capacity and willingness toperform at a higher level.
Such training should cover the
expan ded role, res pon sib ility a nd
accountability that come with the higher
office. Management development
programmes, which include financial andhuman resource management, skills in
staff support and development, projectm a n a ge m e n t e tc. a r e n e ce ss a ry f or
supervisory and managerial staff
involved in community-based corrections.

118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSEREPORTS OF THE COURSE
For more senior level staff, the training
would have to also focus on topics such as
performance benchmarking, conducting
service audits, developing and evaluating
programmes and services for clients, staff
a nd other sta kehold ers. Policy
developm ent and review are alson e c e s s a r y sk i ll s f o r s e n io r s ta f f i nprobation practice.
In its discussion, the Group also agreed
that besides in-service training, there
cou ld als o be pre-service train ing
programmes aimed at attracting lifeexperienced personn el from ot her
disciplines to make mid-career switch toprobation w ork. This could provide asolution to some countries facing thechallenge of having young andin e xp e rie n ce d of f ic e rs o r f in di ng it
difficult to attract and/or retain suitablestaff in probation work due to the natureof the job and the often comparatively low
remunerations accorded to Probation ando the r c om m u nity- b a s ed co rr ec tio ns
officers.
5. Executive Exchanges
The Group also felt there was room to
explore the potential of having executive
exchange programmes among probationand other community-based corrections
staff to inject dynamism and exchanges ofideas among probation practitioners andmanagers. Where possible and practical,
there should also be a leveraging on theadvancement of information and othertechnology to d evelop best practices
across jurisdictions. Examples cite dinclude:(i) Video conferencing(ii) Virtual contacts with experts(iii) Distance learning to complete a
diploma, degree in probation studies,and so forth.

It was observed that, increasingly,
countries with the expertise in training,e.g. UK, Canada, US, and Australia areoffering distance-learning programmes
for this area of specialization.
6. Volunteer Probation Officer (VPOs)
Training
Volunteers Probation Officers (VPOs)
to be engaged in the rehabilitation ofjuvenile offenders should be carefully
selected and screened to weed out thosewith serious c onvictions e .g. sexual
offenders, and others whose intentions
may not meet the best interests of therehabilitation of juveniles.
Training for VPOs should at the very
least cover:(i)

Active listening and communication
skills(ii) Legal framework of communitybased corrections(iii) Ethics and professional liability
In addition, the training should also
briefly cover the core areas of training forProfessional Probation Officers (PPOs). It
is f e lt th at th e e xte nt and d e pth o fcoverage of training for VPOs would varydepending on the nature of assistancerequired of the VPO in each country.
However, no matter the variation, it isimportant that the role of VPOs vis-a-vis
that of PPOs be clearly spelt out to ensurerole clarity on both parties. This is vitalfor effective partnerships between PPOs
and VPOs to exist.
B. Finding New Resources
The group identified a number of areasin which new resources are needed if therehabilitation needs of young offenders
are to be effectively met, risks properly
m a na g ed a nd tre a t me n t e f f e ctiv ely

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 59
o r g a n iz e d . T h e p a rt ic u la r n e e d s o foffenders include:(i) Basic Education(ii) Vocational Training(iii) Employment(iv) Accommodation(v) Health(vi) Family relationships(vii) Sports and leisure
The organizational needs of treatment
agencies include:(i)

The development and evaluation ofeffective programmes(ii) Business planning and organization
The gro up id entifie d a num b e r o fpotential sources of help. These include:(i) Cooperative individuals(ii) Neighbors and peers(iii) Schools, public and private(iv) Academic institutes(v) Business—the private sector(vi) NGOs(vii) Government ministries and departments(i)

Examples from Neighborhood/Peers:school equipment, special education
classes, vocational trainingo p po rtun itie s, w or k exp e rien ce,
employment to parents, shelter care,
Volunteer Probation Officers,
community health centers/clinics,
sports clubs, local friendly societies,
camping trips, pocket money, family
counseling and support.
(ii) Examples from NGOs: Out of school
programmes, Volunteer Probation
Officers, street children education,school aid, special education, staff
training, vocational training,equipment and tools, employmento p p o r t u n it i e s t o o f f e n d e r s a n dparents, shelters for orphans andhomeless, medical facilities, healthed ucation and clinics, drug
prevention and rehabilitation, sports
clubs youth associations, confidencebuilding measures, financial help,
guida nce, counseling and fam ily
support, awareness raising regarding
problems and solutions.
IV. ACCOUNTABILITY ANDEVALUATION

Table 2 is a table describing the ways
in which these different sources meet there habilitation n eed s o f o ff end ers invarious countries. The marked boxes
show these are currently found in South
Africa, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka,
Barbados, Palestine, the UK, Singapore
and Japan.

A. Offender Information
Management System

The organizational needs of agencies
c a n b e m e t b y ac ad e m ic in st itut e s,businesses, NGOs and governments.

(i)

The following are practical examples oft he k ind o f re s o ur ce s w hic h c a n b eprovided by two of the sources;306

1. Guiding Principles for Offender-based
Information System
T h e f o l lo w in g gu i d in g p r in c ip l e sunderpin the Group’s proposal for an
offender-based information system:
Special consideration should be given
to facilitate the active involvement ofth e “m a ny he lp ing ha nds”. T his
includes:a. Proper support, consultation andtraining by professional staff;
b. Adequate
andappropriate
information sharing with persons
to be engaged in f orm al or118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSEREPORTS OF THE COURSEc.

informal supervision and support
to young offenders;Developing a mechanism for
information sharing and feedback
which
poses
the
least
administrative burden tocommunity partners.

(ii) It is important that tracking ofoffenders’ performance should be
driven pr imarily by a focus on
helping the offender to address risks
and needs issues and strengthening
the prospect of community-based
treatment. Hence, in cases of noncompliance by offenders, appropriate
a lt e r n a t iv e c o m m u n i t y o p t i o n sshould be explored.
(iii) There should be strict rules
go verning confid entiality of
information on offenders and families(exception should only be on a need toknow basis).
2. Outline of Case Management System
T he sta rting point of involvement
differs somewhat with a few countries
having Professional Probation Officers(PPOs) being involved right from the timeof arrest and police investigation, whileother countries’ Probation Services only
come in after the defendant has made a
guilty plea or is found guilty as charged.
Regardless of the starting point of
involvement of the Probation Service, thepractice is universal in that the Court
requires a pre-disposition report to makethe most appropriate determination for ajuvenile offender.

(iii) the juvenile is given a community
order(s); or(iv) the juvenile is committed to an institution.
The outcome of the court disposition ofeach case is registered by the Probation
Service even where the juvenile is given a
committal order. The Probation Service
w ould then o pen a case file on e ach
offender.
The case file would have a copy of the
pre-sentence report, court order, consent
forms (for certain countries), summary
shee t e tc . I t w o uld a lso inc lud e thesupervision plan for the offenderconcerned. If the offender goes to an
institution, a second case file is opened by
the institution while the Probation Officeholds on to its own file for continuation ofsupervision once the juvenile is releasedon license or parole after a period of stayin the institution.
It is noted that in most countries, thecase reviews are done internally throughmechanisms such as checks by seniorprobation officers, Assistant Directors,
Chief Probation Officer, or provisional
commissioners and so forth. It was notedthat the Singapore system ischaracterized by a very active
involvement of the Juvenile Court which
review s e ac h pro b ation case a fter 6
months of the date of the probation order.
In this system, the PPO puts up a review
report which details the progress of thejuvenile while o n probation andperformance in programmes or activities
to which the PPO had referred him/her.

There are several possible outcomes:(i)the juvenile is released with or without condition;(ii) the juvenile is released with supervision;

Such a system also requires the PPO toprovide a status update of the casework
intervention undertaken by the PPO or
Volunteer Probation Officer (VPO) to
add ress the risks a nd needs of ea choffender as spelled out in the supervision

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 59
or treatment plan contained in the predisposition report.
For all the countries represented inGroup 2, there is recourse to bringing ajuvenile back to court if he/she breaches
h is / h e r p r o b a t io n c o n d i t i o n b y r e offending or failing to comply with theterms of probation. The outcome may
take any or a combination of thefollowing:(i)continuation of probation after awarning or fine or both;(ii) variation of the probation conditions(more stringent conditions); or(iii) revocation of probation.
It was observed that regardless ofwhether the offender information
ma na gemen t sy stem is performed
manually or computerized, there is asystem of recording actions taken by the
PPO (or VPO as the case may be for somecountries), the juvenile’s response tothese actions and the outcome of court
action if the violation requires bringing
the case back before the court.
It was observed too that in systems
which are managed manually, probation
officers are required to provide monthly
progress reports which are collated bysenior officials for workload accounting,other statistical analysis or for evaluationof the impact of programmes or casework
intervention on offending behaviour.
More and more countries are going intosome form of computerization of data on
offenders to enable better operational
planning and analysis of the probationo u tc om e s , im p a ct o f su pe r vis io n o r
treatment plans in an attempt to movetowards evidence-based practice.

3. Development of Offender-based
Information System
I n attem p ting to d e velop a mo de lsystem for community-based treatment ofjuvenile offenders, the Group is mindfulthat due consideration has to be given to
the development of an offender-based
information system; one that starts fromrisk and needs assessment at the predisposition investigation stage. This has
to be followed closely by a process of
formulatinganindividualized
supervision or treatment plan to address
the risks and needs of each juvenile tosteer him/her from offending.
In the Group discussion, it was notedthat de spite slight variations inindividual countries’ practices, there is acommonality in the framework used forassessing risks and needs. There is also a
recognition that risks and needs have tobe re-assessed from time to time to factor
in the dynamic variables that may impact
on a juvenile in rehabilitation.
Risks and Needs Assessment
For many of the participating
countries, there exists som e form ofstandardized risk assessment tool which
is usually a form or format. During thecourse, participants were also introduced
to the systematic risk assessment
instruments used by UK, i.e. ASSET and
the Canadian Youth Level of Service
Inventory (YLSI). The risk and needs
assessment instrument is a vital tool for
offender-based information management
system. For one thing, it helps w ithclassification of a juvenile in terms of thedegree of supervision and level of service
he/she needs to strengthen the prospect of
successful rehabilitation in thecommunity.
The Group noted from the sharing ofp r a c t ic e s i n e a c h c o u n t r y t h a t t h e308

118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSEREPORTS OF THE COURSE
assessment of risks and needs cover thefollowing areas:(i) Family, criminal and care history(ii) Offending behaviour(iii) Living arrangements(iv) Family and parental relationships(v) Education(vi) Neighborhood(vii) Life cycle(viii) Health(ix) Perceptions of self and others(x) Attitudes(xi) Motivation to change(xii) Positive factors (that can be tappedon to strengthen the communitybased treatment)(xiii) Recommendations
Formulation of an Individualized Careand Treatment Plan
The formulation of an individualizedcare and treatment plan is based verymuch on what is uncovered during thepre- disposition social investigation.
Additional information that comes tol ight a fte r t his stage s hould a ls o b e
considered to ensure the treatment planis responsive to the changing needs andcircumstances of each juvenile.
The care and treatment plan is thedescription of the objectives ofsupervision and the activities or casework
intervention that will be carried out
during the process of supervision. The
p la n sh o uld f a c to r in th e f o llo wi ng
objectives:

Stage
Reception of Case

1. Risk objectives—which aim to reduceor control the effects of a risk factor orneed factor on juvenile’s adjustment
to the community.
2. Need and support objectives—aimed
at add ressing care issues to help
support the juvenile to complete hiscomm unity-based
treatment
suc cessfully. T his would includ emeasures and help by the Probation
Officer and/or the Volunteer
Probation Officer (whether directly or
through other agencies) to increase
the protective factors that would
prevent the juve nile fro m f utureof fe nding or b re ac hing his cour torder.
3. Punitive
objectives—designedtoim p o se so m e f o r m o f p e n a l ty o r
restrictions, to symbolize theco mm unity’s cla im that crim ina lbehaviour is not acceptable).
4. Management objectives—designed tomaintain effective supervision for thecases and this includes items such as
regular reporting to the Probation
O f f ic e r ( o r V o lu n te e r P r o b a t io n
Officer), keeping a job, leading anhonest and industrious life,
maintaining a suitable living
situation, keeping away from criminal
associates, staying away fromundesirab le places like gambling
establishments, etc.).
4. Development of Forms for Individual
Files
T he ta b le b e lo w d e p i cts the d a t acapture on offenders at the various stagesof entry into the system:
Information Gathered

Name, date of birth, age, sex, offence information,family information, address, contact number etc.

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 59
Stage

Information Gathered

Disposition of Court

Pre-sentence report
Basic information
Court order
Risk and needs assessment
Recommended care and treatment plan

Supervision or Treatment
Stage

Date, time and other contact details; office contacts,
home visits, employment community work, attitude,
conduct and performance at community work; etc.
Evaluation of community-based treatment
Risks and needs assessment and subsequent reassessments if there are any changes in dynamic
factors
Supervisor’s modification and evaluation
Records of case discussions/conferences
Details of warning or any court action taken during
supervision and outcome of the court review/action.
Monthly progress reports

It is wor th no ting that the m od elsystem proposed is one that emphasizes
the active engagement of community
resources in the informal and formal
supe rvision and sup port to juve nileoffenders. It therefore follows that theoffender-based information system must
be designed to allow for appropriate andtim ely sharing of info rm ation andfeedback between VPOs, schools, NGOs,
faith-based organizations, sports andrecreational bodies, employers etc. This isnecessary for effective and integrated
management of juvenile offenders in thecommunity.
It is also important that the method of
feedback or reporting of progress updates
on each case between the various agentsof supervision and support be done inways that facilitate effective partnerships
b e tw e en P rob a t io n O ff i cers a nd t he310

“many helping hands” engaged in the
rehabilitation process.
The flow of information on offenders in
integrated case management system isshown in Figure 2.
B. Public Relations: Gaining Public
Confidence
1. Overview
In general, the public is reluctant toaccept offenders in their community.
H o w e v e r , so c ia l s up p o rt is vi ta l to
reintegrate juveniles into the community.
Furthermore, the community has a lot of
resources tha t contrib ute to prevent
recidivism. Social support, including
financial assistance and technical aid, isprecisely essential for community-based
treatment.

118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSEREPORTS OF THE COURSE
In fact, there is a mutual relationshipbetween social support and successful
rehabilitation of a juvenile delinquent.
That is, social support enhances theeffectiveness of community-based
treatment programmes; on the otherh and, successful reh abilitation of
offenders brings public confidence to thecommunity-based treatment system.
Therefore, strategies to address publicconcerns, promote public support, form
partnerships and build confidence bycourts and probation services have to be
formulated. The strategies must be basedon scientific evaluation. Juvenile justice
has to provide the public with empiricalevidence that comm unity-base dtreatment programmes are effective toref orm a juvenile de linquent a nd tosecure the community against crime.
In this regard, recently, some empiricalresearch has been conducted in North
A merica. The finding of research
indicates that for juvenile delinquents
severa l com munity-ba se d trea tment
programmes such as cognitive behavioral,s k i l l - o r ie n t e d , a n d m u l ti s y s t e m i ctreatment result in positive effects.
Th is kind of res earch sh ould bedesigned in respective countries. Whenthe research confirms the effectiveness ofprogrammes, it gives the community
empirical evidence that juvenile justice isaccountable to the community.
2. How to Gain Public Confidence
As noted above, in order to gain andenhance the public confidence, promotionof com munity involve ment is ofparamount importance. In general, theProbation Service coordinates various
agencies and groups and plays a majorrole in the promotion of rehabilitation.
Then, we mainly discussed the strategies

for this target. Some examples of them
are as follows.
(i)

Public Participation in the Juvenile
Justice System
It is useful to obtain public
understanding about community-based
treatment, set up consultative committee
and involve the public. The committee
considers the public’s opinion about theplanning and evaluation of treatment
programmes. Juvenile justice should bemanaged not only by authorized
specialists but also by the public. This
contributes to raising comm unity
awareness.
(ii) Volunteers in community-based
treatment programmes
In several countries, Volunteer
Probation Officers (VPOs) complement
the w or k o f P ro f e ss io na l P r o b a ti on
O f f ic e rs . V P O s a ss ist a j uv e n il e torehabilitate as a mentor in thecommunity. They also play an importantrole to promote crime prevention andmobilize social resources. Through these
activities, they show the public how ajuvenile can rehabilitate themselves in
the community.
BBS (Big Brother and Big Sisters) inJapan act as a confidant of a juvenile andplay the similar role to a VPO in thecommunity.
It is also worth asking ex-offenders andtheir parents to a ssist the juvenile’s
reintegration into the community. They
can become a good advocate for a juvenile
in obtaining employment, as well as beinga good model of reform.
(iii) Avoiding stigmatization
When a juvenile is given theopportunity of education such as
vocational training and literacy
education, it is desirable to use

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 59
institutions that are not traditionallyassociated with offenders. Otherwise,
stigmatization is likely to become the
obstacletoobtainingsocialunderstanding.
(iv) Providing services to the community
Many juveniles are regarded as uselessto the c om m un ity du e to th eir p a st
misconduct. Hence, measures to regain
the trust of the public are essential.
C o m m u n i ty s e r v i c e w o r k is a g o o dexample of regaining the public’s trust. If
the planner or practitioner of treatment
programmes can grasp the needs of theco mm unity in ad vance and de vise a
programme that meets them, completionof community service work can providev i s ib l e a n d t a n gi b l e e v id e n c e t h a t
j u v e n il e s c a n b e c o m e c o n tr i b u t in gmembers of the community.
It is also important that the Probation
Service provides the community withsome resources such as counseling. The
Probation Service should also berecognized by the community as a usefulorganization.
(v) Providing security to the community
Pub lic sa fety is very importa nt ingaining social confidence. It is important
to not m isle ad the public regardingg uaran tees of the effectiv eness ofcommunity-based treatment, but it ishoped that the realistic education will
provide the basis of the community’s
support for treatment.
Some countries have developed strictmeasures such as Home Confinement,
electronic Monitoring, and Intensive
Sup ervision. I n combining thesem easures with comm unity-based
tr ea tm e nt pr ogr a m me s, the re is anincr ea sed like lih oo d of succe ssfu lly
tre a ting a high- risk j uvenile in thecommunity.

312(vi) Public Relations
Mass media often report juvenile crime
so sensationally that the public lose theirconfidence in juvenile justice. Therefore,
giving objective information to both mass
media and the public is crucial.
I n fo r m a t i o n a b o u t t he e f f e ct a nd
efficiency of community-based treatment
based on scientific research is one of themost important elements. Usually thesefindings are provided only in technicaljournals or books for specialists;
moreover, they use difficult technicalte r m s. S uc h i nf o r m a tio n sh o u ld b etranslated into more user-friendly terms
and provided in more accessible ways.
Tha t is, i nf orm a t i on a b out juveni l ejustice should be popularized throughpublishing, videos, TV programmes, websites, and so on. Information andexa mp les ab out how to live w itho ut
violence should be provided to the publicthrough the materials such as posters,newspapers and brochures. This
information will help children tounderstand the differences that exist
between their values and real life values.
T h e m a ss m e d i a c a n p r o vi d e th e
co mmunity with media educatio nresources for youth, violence prevention
programmes, parent w orkshops, andvolunteer staff training. Thus, mass
media is one of the most useful resources
for public relations.
Governmental sectors that organizeand promote th e abov e-men tioned
activities should involve mass media withthem.
Crim e Prevention Aware ness
Campaigns and Street Drama are also
useful. The governmental sector ca nappoint celebrities to a number of thesecampaign activities.

118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSEREPORTS OF THE COURSE
C. Summary
An offender-based information system
is a vital step in the move towards bestpractices in community-based treatmentof juvenile offenders. It allows for:(i)

A systematic assessment of the risks
and needs of each juvenile and theextent to which these needs are met
through a com prehensive andintegrated management of juvenile
offenders on c ommun ity-based
treatment;(ii) Objective benchmarking of progress
made by each offender;(iii) Analysis of the impact of treatment
programmes and other casework
intervention by Probation Officers,
volu nt eers an d ot her a gen cies
working in partnership to achieve
successful outcomes for the juvenile.
This will enable a more effective andefficient use of resources to target
high completion and low recidivism
among juveniles on community-based
treatment.
While the Group recognises theimportance of an effective and efficiently
managed offender-based information
system in effective case management in
the interests of the juvenile, we aremindful that there should b e a highpremium on confidentiality o f all
information on offenders and families. To
this end, there has to be a clear policy on
d e stru ctio n o f j uve nile re co rd s a nd
judicious use of such information outside
the framework of supervision.
Programmes to gain public confidence
i n c o m m u n i ty - b a s e d t r e a t m e n t f o r
juv enile s sho uld be ge are d toward s
providing communities with theunderstanding that community-basedt r e a t m e n t i s n o t a b o u t a d d r e s si n gemotions, but rather to apply practicalmeasures in the effective rehabilitation ofthese juveniles within their communities,
to the benefit of the community at large.
The goal of community safety is best
achieved through the delivery of effective
com munity- based intervention as
expressed through a well-managed casemanagement system.
Public relations is all aboutcommunicating to the public (in ways
they can understand and appreciate)what they need to know to dispel
unneces sa ry fea rs a bout com munity
safety is sues , effectiv e t reatmen t
methods in reforming juvenile offenders
while they are allowed to remain in thecommunity.
V. CONCLUSION
Having examined all the risk factors
and conducted needs assessments, thismod el ha s b een d esigne d a s the one
which is practicable to all participating
countries. Although some countries may
find som e aspe cts im practical to
implement immediately, the wish is for asystem that is as similar as possible indesign and which will be implemented in
the not too distant future.
S uccessful re sp onse to this mode ldepends on the unveiling and gallant
public relation efforts of practitioners.
The re i s no rea s o n w hy a ny a nd a l l
av enue s sho uld be spared. We are
cognizant of the fact that consistentvigilance for changes of the mood andatt itu d e s o f th e co m m u n ity wil l benecessary. However a keen eye must be
kept for any new or additional resources
which might manifest from time to time.
Continuity of community based
rehabilita tive trea tment also means
continuous research and evaluation of

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 59
programmes
thatcaninformpractitioners. While we appreciate that
resources are scarce, we must ensure thatwhat resources are available are being
appropriately distributed to those youth
most in need.
Above all, staff training must be given
a high priority if professionals are to beequipped to provide effective service.
Finally, we ca nnot e mp ha siz e to ostrongly that the needs of the youth arec o m p le x a nd r e q ui re th e i np u t a n d
supportofmany
community
professionals. We have advanced theconcept of the Multidisciplinary Team,w hich we fe e l is th e best veh icle tosupport such evidence-based practice.
REFERENCES
Mark W. Lipsy and David B. Wilson,
1998, “Effective Intervention for Serious
J uv e n ile O f f e nd e rs , ” in “S e ri o us &Violent Juvenile Offenders, Risk Factors
and Successful Interventions,” edited by
Rolf Loeber and David P. Farrington,
Sage Publications, pp.313–345.
D.A. A nd rews et al, 1990, “Does
C orrectional Treatment Work? A
Clinically Relevant and PsychologicallyInformed Meta-Analysis,” 28 Criminology
369.
Leschied, A.W. “Effective Correctional
Treatment.” UNFAEI, 118th Course, July
2001, Fuchu, Japan.

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118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSEREPORTS OF THE COURSE
Figure 1
Model System of Community-Based Treatment

Community Resources

Community-based Treatment

Multi-disciplinary Team

PolicePublicProsecutor

Court

Correctional
Institution

315

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 59
Figure 2
Integrated Case Management System
Reception of caseProbation Service

Risk and Needs
Assessment

Resources(Governmental bodyand Private body(NGOs))

Coordinating
Community
Resources

Planning Treatment
TargetReferralRe-assessment of
Effectiveness ofTreatment

Feedback

HealthCommunity healthcenter, Hospial, etc.
Accommodation
Half-way house,
Foster home, etc.
LeisureBBS, Sport andCultural Societies

Termination
Planning

Employment
Employer, etc.
OthersFaith-based
Organizations, etc.

Termination

SUCCESS

Education
Schools, etc.

FAILURE

Back to Court
Early
Discharge

316

Revocation of
Probation

Custody

118TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSEREPORTS OF THE COURSE
Table 1Treatment Programme in the Context of Risks and Needs
Programme
Literacy
Skill
Training

Vocational
Training

SchoolLow
Achievement

DD

Truancy

D

D

Employment

Unemployment

D

D

IndividualCounseling

FamilyRisk/Need

FamilyCounseling

Familyrelationships

D

Inadequate
SupervisionD

Disruptive
Behavior

Peers

Cognitive
Behavioral
Counseling

D

D

Delinquent
Group

D

D

Few Positive
FriendD

D

Drug

Substance Use

LeisureMaking Better
Use of Time

Drug
Treatment

D

D

Resiliency
Self Esteem
Individual

Attention
Deficit
Antisocial
attitude

D
D
D

D
Programme

Community
Promotion of
RestoringService
Employment Programmes
Work
FamilyAdventure/
SportsMentorship

Fostering

Familyrelationships
Inadequate
Supervision
Disruptive
Behavior

SchoolLow
Achievement

Employment

Unemployment

Peers

DelinquentGroup
Few Positive
FriendD

Risk/Need

Truancy

D
D
D
D

Drug

Substance Use

D

LeisureMaking Better
Use of TimeD

Resiliency

D
D

Attention
Deficit
Antisocial
attitudeDD

Self Esteem
Individual

D

D
D

317

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 59
Table 2
Rehabilitation Needs and Resources
Resources
Needs

Basic
Education
Vocational
Training

Cooperative Neighbors
Individuals
Peers

Schools
Public&PrivateAcademic
Institutes

Business:
Government
Private NGOs Ministries &Sector
Departments

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

D

Employment

D

Accommodation

D

HealthD

FamilyRelationships

D

Sports/Leisure

D

D

D
D

D

D

D

D
D

“D” means that the resources are currently used in participant’s countries.

318

DD