A community accountability conference is a particularly relevant addition to the intervention strategy for children and youth engaged in firesetting. Youth are held accountable for their actions and recognize the true impact their actions have had on others. Many parents report that conferences help their children learn empathy. Victims and families are engaged and actively participate in finding solutions and reaching consensus. Community tensions are lessened and opportunities for healing and closure are created.
Creative agreements increase the possibilities for reparation and restitution.
The following story illustrates the role that a community conference can play in responding to a serious incident from a restorative justice perspective. While the youth involved was 15 years old, the principles and practices applied have equal relevance to younger children. Pursuant to the Young Offenders Act , information that would lead to the identification of the young person involved has been altered or omitted. The maintenance manager of a large government building discovered a pile of burning material on the floor of a second story washroom. Fire department and police personnel responded and the 450 building tenants were evacuated.