Divendres 21. Taller 3 1a Conferència Internacional de Cercles de Suport i Responsabilitat (CoSA) Barcelona, 20 i 21 de novembre de 2014

1. First International COSA Conference
„Social Net Conferencing“ probation project
Christoph KOSS & Hansjörg SCHLECHTER NEUSTART – Probation, Mediation, Social Work
AUSTRIA
20/11/2014
First International COSA Conference

2. Leben ohne Kriminalität.
Wir helfen.
“You don‘t help people by doing things for them,
which they can do by themselves.“
(Abraham Lincoln)

3. Leben ohne Kriminalität.
Wir helfen.
biennal project
2012 – 2013
„Social Net Conferencing“
innovation for Austrian‘s
criminal justice system
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4. Leben ohne Kriminalität.
Wir helfen.
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Social Net Conferencing – What‘s all about?
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asupport, offeredbyprobationserviceNEUSTARTforjuvenile offenders
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to learn from their criminal misbehaviour
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to get a spontaneous chance to desist of crime
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to accept aid by their social net support-system
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to make an action-plan for the future within clear responsibilities
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and to compensate or make good, for what he has done to the victim (restorative justice)
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adialogue-frameforjuveniles, theirfamiliesand thewidenedsocialnet
> to face their problems
> to make decisions
> for finding a new path of solution
> to take responsibility for realising their promises
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aspecialmobilisationof thesocialnet(basedon FGC)
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to overcome isolation and solitude
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to connect all involved people for planing a future exempt from deviance

5. Leben ohne Kriminalität.
Wir helfen.
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Social Net Conferencing – project targets
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creation
of a new name in German language “SOZIALNETZ-KONFERENZ”
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target-group
are juvenile delinquents up to the age of 18 y (till 21 y in certain cases)
in pre-trial custody (completely new context)
before release from prison
on probation (care-conferences) or
restorative justice conferences
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main target
to empower the juvenile to create an action plan for the future, set up
and carried out by the juvenile and his social net with the aid
of professional social workers
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result
should be less recidivism, less harm to victims and less costs for society

6. Leben ohne Kriminalität.
Wir helfen.
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Social Net Conferencing – project
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financedbytheMinistryof Justice(BMfJ)
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durationfromJan. 2012 untilDec. 2013 (and 2014 furthertillnow)
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provinces:Vienna, Upper Austria, Styria and Carinthia
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60 SoNeCo‘sas targetto test conferencing-procedures
in probation cases
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researchfromthe„University of Vienna“–
faculty of criminal law and criminology (final report dated on 2014-05-31)
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16coordinators (4 per province)
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projectteam consisted by the project manager
and 4 regional managers (1 per province)

7. Leben ohne Kriminalität.
Wir helfen.
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BMJ 10.04.2014 Sozialnetz‐Konferenz
procedure of a „pre-trial SoNeCo“
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phaseof preparation(pre-trialcustody=> shortperiod4 -14 days,
normaly 3-4 weeks)
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phaseof realisation
1.) „information“ (modelling of „CARE and PROBLEM“, circle of resource‘s)
2.) „social net - privat time“ („family only“, social net meeting without professionals)
3.) „decision-making“ (fixing the plan; going the whole hog;
„YES“ to the plan!)
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phaseof revision(followupafter4 –9 weeks)

8. Leben ohne Kriminalität.
Wir helfen.
sample: Matthias‘s pre-trial SoNeCo
participants:
written comment by
school principal
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BMJ 10.04.2014 Sozialnetz‐Konferenz

9. Leben ohne Kriminalität.
Wir helfen.
conclusions
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BMJ 10.04.2014 Sozialnetz‐Konferenz

10. Leben ohne Kriminalität.
Wir helfen.
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Social-Net-Confernecing – outcome October 2014
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240 casesreferredfromcourtorprobationofficer
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103 conferencescarriedout
of which are:
65 „pre-trial custody SoNeCo-conferences“
17 „release SoNeCo-conferences“
18 „care SoNeCo-conferences“ during probation (problem-solving)
3 „restorative justice SoNeCo-conferences“
20 follow up SoNeCo-conferences
outcome by pre-trial SoNeCo‘s:
40 juveniles where discharged from pre-trial custody (62 percent)
4 juveniles committed further crimes up to now

11. Leben ohne Kriminalität.
Wir helfen.
juveniles in pre-trial custody 1/2012 -10/2013
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fig. 1: juvenile delinquents in pre‐trial detention 01.10.2012 – 01.10.2013 (removed from BMJ 2013, S 14)

12. Leben ohne Kriminalität.
Wir helfen.
practical experiences:
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5 to 15 participantsper SoNeCo
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preparationtime about6 weeks
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time per SoNeCo4,5 hours
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„socialnetprivate time“2 hoursup to 5 hours
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a plan includeson average10 issues
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familyisin majorityinsideof socialnet
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BMJ 10.04.2014 Sozialnetz‐Konferenz

13. Leben ohne Kriminalität.
Wir helfen.
recidivism aspects:
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at 15% (11 clients) recidivisms or new trials (after a short period of control)
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general recidivism-rate for juvenile delinquents within 3 years: 60%

14. Leben ohne Kriminalität.
Wir helfen.
compliancy of the plans:
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71% of SoNeCo plans “are on a role”
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9 % of the plans completely failed
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42% support to fulfil judicial orders: like
accommodation/employment/therapy
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36% living alone/accommodation
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15% finishing school/apprenticeship/employment
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6% emergency plan for crisis
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35% bettering of the family-cohesion

15. Leben ohne Kriminalität.
Wir helfen.
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Social Net Confernecing – findings
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familiesand theirsocialnetarehighlymotivatedto investtime, energyand resourcesto supportjuvenile offenders
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oneprobationofficeralonecannotbeartheburden, howto deal withjuvenile delinquents(upgradingourcase-work-approach)
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new perspectives for probation officers in cooperating with others
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socialnetconferencesmostlyareemotionallytouchingand indwellinga power of changewithina shorttime
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concrete, creative and practical plans
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voluntary “social control”by client’s ownership
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juvenile clients and their families presentthemselveshighlyengaged
„The experience, that there‘re so many people supporting me, caused that I will strain myself to reach my target, not committing an aggravated robbery any more. I don’t want to disappoint anyone of them.”
(juvenile offender)

16. Leben ohne Kriminalität.
Wir helfen.
„Sozial-Marie international Award “ on 1st of May 2014 – sole-lead for Social Innovation
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17. 20/11/2014
First International COSA Conference
This presentation has been produced with the financial support of the Daphne III Programme of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of NEUSTART and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Commission
Thank you for your attention!
christoph.koss@neustart.at
hansjoerg.schlechter@neustart.at