We invited the BBC to observe and film a hearing at Hampshire Constabulary's Community Court - an innovative project funded and actively supported by the Police and Crime Commissioner.
The Hampshire Community Court is a pioneering form of restorative justice in the UK where young offenders are held to account for their behaviour by members of their own age group who represent and respect the wishes of victims. Only if the victim agrees will an offender be referred to the Community Court.
Typical offences the Community Court has dealt with include shoplifting, criminal damage (value up to £200), possession of cannabis, and assault (where minor injury has been sustained and the victim party has supported the use of the programme).
The initiative is a three-year pilot run by PC Mark Walsh with Hampshire Constabulary’s Criminal Justice Department, funded and supported by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) as part of Commissioner Simon Hayes's commitment to his Police and Crime Plan priorities of reducing re-offending and placing the victim at the heart of the criminal justice system.
The general role of the community court is not to decide on innocence or guilt, but to use community-driven mechanisms to help decide on appropriate and fair directions for young people who have acknowledged their guilt.
The peer panel asserts peer pressure, one of the main reasons for young people offending, to reverse attitudes to crime and anti-social behaviour. The objective is to increase young people's chances of rehabilitation at the very early stages, instead of entering into a cycle of re-offending.
The Hampshire Community Court enhances the current outcomes available to the police and does not replace any existing criminal courts for young people (Youth Courts).
Follow @HantsCommCourt
