GROUP 2

EFFECTIVE INSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT OF JUVENILE OFFENDERSFOR THEIR SUCCESSFUL REINTEGRATION INTO SOCIETY
Chairperson
Co-Chairperson
Rapporteur
Co-Rapporteurs

Mr. Shu-kan Kenny Cheung
Ms. Ayumi Ishikawa
Mr. Karma Sonam
Mr. Herath T. N. Upuldeniya
Mr. Masaru Kiuchi
Mr. Min Than Kyaw
Mr. Hee-Ho Park
Mr. Kenji Nagaike(Hong Kong)(Japan)(Bhutan)(Sri Lanka)(Japan)(Myanmar)(Korea)(Japan)Visiting Experts

Judge Stephen O’Driscoll
Dr. Robert Hoge

(New Zealand)(Canada)Advisers

Prof. Tetsuya SuganoProf. Koji YamadaProf. Shintaro Naito(UNAFEI)(UNAFEI)(UNAFEI)

Members

I. INTRODUCTION
Group 2 agreed to base its discussions on the following agenda.
1.
2.
3.

4.
5.

6.

The current situation and problems of organizations treating juveniles.
Measures of assessing the individual characteristics of juveniles.
Development of effective treatment programmes in accordance with the results of the risk and needs
assessment:(i) Characteristics and circumstances of each juvenile to be considered for developing a treatment
programme;(ii) Utilizing the risk, need and responsivity principles of case classification to design treatment
programmes, with provision however, that such programmes are subject to professional override;(iii) Type of resources for treatment.
Development of an effective treatment programme considering victims and/or restitution of theharm caused to victims.
Continuous collaboration and maintaining links with community-based treatment services and/or
related organizations for the effective treatment of juveniles and their rehabilitation (through-care):(i) Participation of private companies, NGOs, social workers, volunteers, governmentorganizations;(ii) Need for a monitoring system;(iii) Residential programmes and halfway houses.
Aftercare systems which help maintain the effect of correctional treatment and which reduce the riskof reoffending and enhance the juvenile’s ability to reintegrate into the community:(i) Supervision by a government authority (probation officer, welfare officer or prison/correctional
officer);(ii) Involving community resources (volunteer probation officers, volunteer welfare officers,NGOs);(iii) Need for experienced and professional staff;(iv) Pre-release arrangements;(v) Close contact or communication with family members before and after discharge.

II. SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION
A. Current Situation and Problems of Organizations Treating Juveniles
Most of the participants agreed that specialization of services is necessary. Staff assigned to different
tasks should take responsibility for specified duties e.g. security, discipline, education, welfare. There may
be some conflicts because of varying areas of responsibility. Most participants agreed that work assignment
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deviations are necessary, and at the same time, smooth inter-sectional communication and co-operation
should be practiced to solve the difficulties we face in each field. Participants from Sri Lanka, Hong Kong,
Korea, and Bhutan mentioned that they had introduced the separated section system to give special
attention in training, counselling and education on one side, and security on the other. Mr. Nagaike statedthat Japan had introduced a whole unit concept for effective management. In that system, all staff are
required to be familiar with all programmes, including security matters, as well as educational or
psychological treatments.
Regarding the negative effects of keeping juveniles in custody, group members indicated that there is ahigh possibility of stigmatization. Most of the participants agreed that TV or radio publicity is important toredress the negative image of inmates. We also need to announce that the acceptance of inmates is
indispensable not only for the rehabilitation and reintegration of juveniles, but also for building a supportingand caring social atmosphere.
All the participants agreed that overcrowding in juvenile training centres has a negative effect onrehabilitation programmes in relation to health, hygiene, and discipline. Overcrowding can cause terrible
conflicts among inmates, and because of this problem, institutions cannot implement programmes smoothly
and thereby fail to meet UN standards. Ms. Ishikawa said that in Japan, for example, in order to cope withovercrowding issues, the parole system is a good solution to reduce the population of an institution. Mr.
Upuldeniya, participant of Sri Lanka, noted that the parole system alone might not be an effective way to
reduce the numbers of offenders. In Sri Lanka, the parole system does not function well enough to succeed
in alleviating overcrowding conditions.
Regarding family support systems and parenting assistance systems, most of the group members agreed
that these helping schemes for parents and guardians are very important for the stabilization of juvenile
behaviour and emotions. Most societies face the problems of broken and dysfunctional families which
aggravate juveniles’ misbehaviour. It is very difficult to prevent re-offending when juveniles have serious
family problems. In this regard, all the participants agreed that parental meetings and education conducted inprobation offices or correctional institutions under the instruction of staff members are good solutions.
Group members indicated that introducing volunteer family activities or youth supporting activities isvery useful. It would provide access for juveniles to healthy social activities. Mr. Park, the Koreanparticipant, explained the video meeting system which allows juveniles accommodated in institutions andparents in the community to remain in contact, providing an opportunity to maintain and improve theirrelationships.
In addition, the group discussed the fact that the correctional systems of most of the represented
countries are suffering from a lack of sufficient human and financial resources. Shortage of staff may cause
deterioration in the quality of treatment programmes, inadequate service implementation, and unsustainable
activities. Most members experienced difficulties in upgrading their agencies’ equipment and facilities
because of a lack of financial input.

B. Measures of Assessing Individual Characteristics of Juveniles
All agreed that probation officers, psychologists, and social workers should participate in the assessmentof individual characteristics. The important factors for assessment and classification have been metaanalyses or other statistical research, and the group members shared information on these factors from thearticles of Dr. Hoge and Dr. Bonta. The Corrections Bureau of Japan has just begun the improvement of its
risk and need assessment tools based upon these meta-analytic studies:(i) Prior or current offences/disposition(ii) Family circumstances/parenting(iii) Education/employment(iv) Peer relations(v) Substance abuse(vi) Leisure/recreation activities(vii) Personality/behaviour patterns(viii)Attitudes/values/cognitions(ix) Health condition.

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The Korean and Japanese members explained that they have developed standardized personality
inventories and attitude tests. Mr. Cheung said that in Hong Kong, intake assessment for offenders is
conducted after their admission into correctional institutions for the purpose of deciding placement andrehabilitative programme planning.
Judge O’Driscoll stated that the criminal history of juveniles could be analysed to learn more about crimecommission patterns and the development of reoffending behaviour. All participants agreed that home visitsor parents’ interviews are indispensable in order to get accurate information on the juvenile’s criminal
history, general life history, family background, and living environment.
Mr. Upuldeniya said that in Sri Lanka, risk assessment is conducted for the purpose of separating lowrisk inmates from high-risk inmates. He mentioned that categorizing offenders according to levels of drug
abuse and the tendency to commit criminal or delinquent acts is important for effective programmemanagement. Assessment of criminal history and types of offence are important elements not only for
sentence adjudications or placement of offenders, but also for individual programme planning.
All the participants agreed on the importance of staff education in the assessment and identification ofjuvenile characteristics and their risk/need levels. Well trained and experienced staff should be assigned toassess juveniles. Regarding monitoring and evaluation of risk assessment, the group member from Sri Lanka
explained that social workers and probation officers have to submit reports on released offenders every six
months. The superintendents of institutions have to examine these reports coming from different sections.
All the participants agreed that sharing information among different organizations is very important for
exchanging views on the results of risk assessments and also for double-checking evaluations.
Most group members agreed that professional workers from different parties should exchange opinions on
the identification of juveniles’ characteristics. In institutions, close and careful behavioural observation ofjuveniles in group settings is very effective in identifying natural and innate personalities and behaviour patterns.

C. Development of Effective Treatment Programmes in Accordance with Risk and Needs Assessment
All participants agreed that the factors mentioned in the previous section and some additional need(dynamic) factors should be taken into consideration for the design of treatment programmes.
Factors to be considered are:(i) Criminal history(ii) Education/employment(iii) Financial circumstances(iv) Family/parents’ marital situation (attitude of parents)(v) Accommodation(vi) Leisure/recreation(vii) Gang/triad society background/social relationships(viii)Alcohol/drug/gambling problems(ix) Physical/emotional/psychological condition(x) Attitude/orientation(xi) Heath condition.
Dr. Hoge explained the concept of assessments based on the risk/need/responsivity principle, and alsoemphasized the importance of professional override in individual cases. Participants shared information on
effective treatment from the reference material and concluded that it is necessary to construct theoreticalframeworks such as:(i) Insight oriented therapies(ii) Humanistic therapies(iii) Behavioural treatment - behavioural modification(iv) Cognitive behavioural strategies(v) Family and parenting intervention(vi) Medical and drug treatments.

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Mr. Cheung pointed out that in Hong Kong some social skills and prevention of antisocial behaviour
training are provided by officers of the Rehabilitation Unit (RU), and sexual offender and drug relapse
prevention programmes are conducted by psychologists. The participants from Hong Kong and Sri Lanka
said that special programmes for drug addicts are held in separate drug rehabilitation institutions. Drug
addicted inmates receive not only relapse prevention programmes or cognitive behavioural treatments, butalso vocational training, family group counselling, and post-release follow-up supervision to achieve stablesocial reintegration.
All participants agreed that special treatment should be provided for offenders with mental or emotional
disabilities. Also, they all agreed to the need to establish separate independent juvenile training schools,
juvenile prisons, and juvenile classification centres for better management of treatment programmes.
Mr. Upuldeniya said that in Sri Lanka mirror room therapy is used for offenders to express their views
and to tell life stories. It is the basic requirement of drug addiction treatment centres in Sri Lanka that all
staff be selected from among those who do not smoke or drink alcoholic beverages. He also said that Sri
Lankan correctional institutions conduct meditation programmes, vocational training programmes, andcounselling programmes in juvenile treatment institutions.
Mr. Cheung pointed out that in Hong Kong there are two training centres for different age groups. One isfor juveniles under the age of 17 and the other is for young adults under the age of 21. They are separated
for efficient management and rehabilitative purposes.
Ms. Ishikawa stated that in Japan probationers with a drugs history are required to undergo a medical
follow-up examination. Voluntary urinanalysis was adopted to motivate probationers to keep away fromdrugs and prevent relapses.
Professor Sugano raised the issue of effectiveness. He mentioned that from the statistical study,
programmes which focus on self-esteem alone have been evaluated as ineffective in reducing rates of reoffending. Ms. Ishikawa said that from her experience, dealing with the self-esteem of juveniles is very
effective. Mr. Kiuchi agreed with Ms. Ishikawa, and said that among Japanese juveniles, most suffer from alack of self-esteem which contributes to their troubled behaviour. Professor Sugano agreed that most staff
working in the treatment of juveniles believe that a lack of self-esteem is related to juvenile delinquency;
however, he mentioned that when we focus on the most effective way to reduce troubled behaviour, we needto precisely measure the results of teaching methods. To narrow down the targeted goals, the training
schemes are important for developing effective treatment methods.
All members agreed that the following training programmes are good for juveniles:(i) Changing antisocial attitudes and feelings(ii) Reducing antisocial peer association(iii) Promoting family affection and communication(iv) Improving parenting skill and supervision(v) Increasing self control, self management, problem-solving skills(vi) Reducing drug dependencies(vii) Sex offender treatment.
Most of the group members also agreed that the following types of resources for treatment should beconsidered:(i) Human resources: experts, staff and training resources(ii) Social resources: community support, private companies, volunteers(iii) Hardware and equipment, computerization(iv) Assessment tools (standardized formats).
All participants agreed that anger management programmes, social skills training programmes, relapse
prevention programmes, and family education programmes are important. In addition, publicity through projects
such as TV programmes is important for promoting smooth reintegration into society and avoiding stigmatization.

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D. Development of Effective Treatment Programmes which Consider Victims and/or Restitution
At the beginning of the discussion of this issue, all group members agreed that this topic is difficult topractice in institutional settings. Most members agreed that programmes concerning the damage caused to
victims should cover the following:
•
•
•
•
•

Preparation programmes for the direct participation of victims
VideosFamily group conferencing with victims
Letters to victims
Training programmes.

Mr. Kiuchi from Japan introduced the practices implemented in Japanese juvenile training schools. He
mentioned that the victims and victims ’ family members are regularly invited to give speeches to theinmates of juvenile training schools. He added information concerning institution-based treatment
programmes, e.g. training for inmates to learn how to write apology letters to the victims before real
mediation. All agreed that direct mediation should occur only after proper guidance to help inmates deepen
their feelings of remorse toward victims.
All participants agreed that family group conferences might be a good way for inmates to think more
about the feelings of and damage caused to the victims, and also the consequences of their crimes.
Mr. Upuldeniya from Sri Lanka said that video programmes for all offences other than sexual offences
would be conducted as training programmes to enhance awareness of the victim’s loss, damages caused anda sense of remorse.

E. Continuous Collaboration and Maintaining Links With Community-Based Treatment Services orRelated Organizations (Through-Care)All participants agreed that participation of private companies, NGOs, volunteers and related governmentorganizations could provide more resources and assistance for the rehabilitation of young offenders.
Mr. Cheung reiterated that in Hong Kong, NGOs and private companies are actively involved inrehabilitation services. Publicity campaigns encourage employers to employ discharged inmates. Volunteers
are invited to provide support and assistance for released offenders. Ms. Ishikawa from Japan stated that theprotection of confidential information should be considered at the time of community involvement or
employment referrals. Mr. Upuldeniya said that in Sri Lanka the welfare association in each prison, including
government officers and welfare officers, is directly involved in post-release treatment. The participantsfrom Korea and Myanmar stated that volunteers and religious groups are actively involved in the
rehabilitation services in their countries. Mr. Upuldeniya said that in Sri Lanka the Discharged Prisoners Cooperative Association provides jobs to discharged juveniles. Activities include carpentry and masonrytraining and employment. The association has also undertaken some government construction projects.
All participants agreed that a monitoring system for the performance and functions of the volunteers andNGOs is important to maintain the quality of their services. The privacy of inmates must also be considered
and monitored. Besides, all agreed that accommodation assistance or halfway house services are essential
for some juveniles. Moreover, NGOs could provide assistance in the arrangement of accommodation before
discharge and close contact between welfare or parole officers and the NGO could be maintained.

F. Aftercare Systems which Help Maintain the Effect of Correctional Treatment
The group members spent more time on this topic as all agreed that aftercare supervision is significant inmonitoring the progress of discharged juveniles and in providing assistance.
Mr. Nagaike said that in Japan aftercare supervision is provided by probation officers or parole officers.
He mentioned that the most essential matter is how to create a law-abiding spirit within probationers. Group
members agreed that probation officers need to develop programmes to enhance the spontaneous will torespect the rules and regulations of society. Mr. Upuldeniya said that in Sri Lanka aftercare supervision isprovided by prison welfare officers, probation officers or parole officers.

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Mr. Cheung stated that in Hong Kong, aftercare supervision is provided by the officers from theRehabilitation Unit, and they closely supervise and counsel supervisees and their family members and also
maintain contact with employers (if applicable). Besides, they have the involvement of some community
resources and NGOs to provide needed services to young offenders, e.g. halfway houses, recreational
activities and employment guidance.
All participants agreed that trained and professional staff are essential for providing aftercare services andthat motivation of juveniles, strict regulations, monitoring and effective counselling are also important forsupervision. Ms. Ishikawa reiterated that linkage between institutions and community-based treatment
should be established to enhance the effectiveness of parole and probation supervision. All participants
agreed that pre-release programmes for young offenders and future discharge plans play an important role insocial reintegration. Mr. Kiuchi said that in Japan more practical and updated training in institutions should
be provided for meeting social change.
All participants agreed that the co-operation and active participation of parents are important for the
rehabilitation of juveniles. Mr. Cheung stated that in Hong Kong regular family group and individual
counselling services are provided for family members before discharge. He added that a multi-modality
approach is used and also that different types of programmes are conducted by related parties to enhance theeffectiveness of the supervision.
Prof. Sugano shared some relevant information on the idea of Multisystemic Family Therapy, which wasdeveloped in the USA and Canada. This therapy involves intensive observation sessions in a domestic family
setting by professional volunteers. The observations last for two to three weeks and are used to identify
persons who have a significant role in the juvenile’ s life and who can become a positive resource for thejuvenile.
All participants agreed that supervision should be conducted by a government authority (probation
officers, parole officers, welfare officers or prison aftercare officers), and that volunteers should play an
assisting role.
Mr. Cheung stated that Hong Kong adopted the outreach approach whereby a supervising officer
conducts surprise home and workplace visits to supervise the released offender closely and effectively. The
participants from Japan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka said that in their countries probationers or parolees areinterviewed in the probation office by appointment. Family visits are conducted if necessary. Mr. Sonam said
that in Bhutan police and regional community leaders provide some assistance for discharged juveniles.
All participants agreed that there were some challenges and difficulties regarding aftercare supervision,
such as handling of VPOs and some uncontrollable factors arising from bad peer group influence, finding
employment, lack of family support and drug addiction.

III. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
All participants agreed on the following conclusions and recommendations:
1.
2.

3.
4.
5.

To obtain more genuine and accurate information, the different aspects and characteristics ofjuveniles should be taken into consideration when conducting risk/needs assessment;
Treatment programmes should be updated regularly by inviting the opinion of experts and relatedparties. Consideration should also be given to the ideas of participating staff and juveniles.
Introduction of new programmes should be implemented in a step-by-step manner and the scale ofreform should depend on available resources;
Objective and scientific measurements should be used for assessing the effectiveness of treatment
programmes, such as the rate of recidivism and change of behaviour. Accurate and updated researchand statistics should be rigorously maintained;
Restorative justice mediation programmes provide good opportunities for the juvenile to think more
about the feeling of his or her victim and the consequences of crime. Juveniles should be guided andtrained before attending victim mediation programmes;
Before discharging juveniles, greater pre-release training and preparation should be provided. For

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this purpose, parole board officers or probation officers should be involved in the treatment of thejuvenile during his or her stay in an institution. The through-care concept could be applied;
6. Stable employment is indispensable for the juvenile to lead a law-abiding life. Therefore, we need toseek more co-operation and assistance, from private companies as well as the community, throughpublicity campaigns;
7. Effective systems to monitor volunteers and NGOs are necessary;
8. In order for the juvenile to maintain his or her motivation to rehabilitate after release, it is necessary
to provide some innovative and creative programmes;
9. Family plays an important part in the rehabilitation process; greater effort should be made toencourage the juvenile to build up trusting relationships with his or her family members. This should
begin upon the juvenile’ s admission to an institution. The juvenile should also be encouraged tomaintain close contact with his or her family during the parole or supervision period;
10. Aftercare supervision with control and care elements significantly influences a juvenile’s reintegration. For this purpose, juveniles’ needs should be assessed before release;
11. Training and education for staff on the rationale and mission of rehabilitation of juveniles should be
strengthened. Some cultural change and motivational programmes could be good ways to enhanceteam spirit and levels of co-operation amongst staff members.

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