As a child if you do something “wrong” your parents are unlikely to ask you what the consequences of your actions should be. At school your teacher is unlikely to ask the class what the punishment should be if one of your classmates breaks the rules. We are schooled in having justice done to us – accepting rules and sanctions because of existing power arrangements.
Consequently, as a society we apply this learning to our relationship with the justice system. This relationship is problematic. Justice can only be achieved with the buy in and active involvement of the community subject to the justice system to ensure that norms and procedures reflect the community’s sense of justice, and as a safeguard against State’s power in the application of these norms and procedures. And given the diversity of our society the active involvement of citizens is crucial to challenging assumptions about what justice is.
Diversity and innovation
New Zealand’s young people are the most diverse and information savvy generation to date. Not only do they represent the future of our nation but their relationship to diversity and access to information provides opportunity for challenging the status quo – a sense of the possibility for change and innovation – including how justice is done in Aotearoa.
Get ‘em while they’re young…
Evidence shows that civic participation is self-perpetuating – that means once you’ve participated in a democratic process such as voting, submitting on legislation etc your more likely to do it again. And a sense that participation will be meaningful is an important factor in whether people want to participate or not.
iI young people are encouraged to engage in the norm setting, policy and law making process in the justice sector – and decision makers actually listen! – these same people are more likely to participate again, and we will have a more engaged general population.
So what? If we have a population that is more engaged with setting our justice norms and procedures the system will more accurately reflect the community’s sense of justice, and the population will be more sensitive to abuses of power within that system.
Lifespan of decisions
Decisions that are made today about how we do justice in New Zealand have an impact that extends far into the future. This is because policy and legislative decisions create norms and procedures which become entrenched.
It is also because the way in which our young people are dealt with by the justice system has significant implications for their future involvement with criminal justice. We know that young people’s brains are still developing until around age 25. In the context of criminal justice the evidence suggests whether an individual will persist or desist from crime depends on what happens to them up to this age.
Therefore decisions that are made today have a significant impact on the lives of young people involved with the criminal justice system already and young people who will have to deal with the consequences of these decisions for much longer than those making the decisions.
If justice is to be achieved both for today and for the future young people need to be involved in decisions on norms and procedures. Young people add diversity and a belief that change is possible. If engaged young they are more likely to continue to participate in the decision making processes which will lead to a system that has more legitimacy with the population. Finally, young people are the ones who will be most affected and affected for the longest by decisions made today – it is only logical that we should be involved in these decisions.
Consequently, as a society we apply this learning to our relationship with the justice system. This relationship is problematic. Justice can only be achieved with the buy in and active involvement of the community subject to the justice system to ensure that norms and procedures reflect the community’s sense of justice, and as a safeguard against State’s power in the application of these norms and procedures. And given the diversity of our society the active involvement of citizens is crucial to challenging assumptions about what justice is.
Diversity and innovation
New Zealand’s young people are the most diverse and information savvy generation to date. Not only do they represent the future of our nation but their relationship to diversity and access to information provides opportunity for challenging the status quo – a sense of the possibility for change and innovation – including how justice is done in Aotearoa.
Get ‘em while they’re young…
Evidence shows that civic participation is self-perpetuating – that means once you’ve participated in a democratic process such as voting, submitting on legislation etc your more likely to do it again. And a sense that participation will be meaningful is an important factor in whether people want to participate or not.
iI young people are encouraged to engage in the norm setting, policy and law making process in the justice sector – and decision makers actually listen! – these same people are more likely to participate again, and we will have a more engaged general population.
So what? If we have a population that is more engaged with setting our justice norms and procedures the system will more accurately reflect the community’s sense of justice, and the population will be more sensitive to abuses of power within that system.
Lifespan of decisions
Decisions that are made today about how we do justice in New Zealand have an impact that extends far into the future. This is because policy and legislative decisions create norms and procedures which become entrenched.
It is also because the way in which our young people are dealt with by the justice system has significant implications for their future involvement with criminal justice. We know that young people’s brains are still developing until around age 25. In the context of criminal justice the evidence suggests whether an individual will persist or desist from crime depends on what happens to them up to this age.
Therefore decisions that are made today have a significant impact on the lives of young people involved with the criminal justice system already and young people who will have to deal with the consequences of these decisions for much longer than those making the decisions.
If justice is to be achieved both for today and for the future young people need to be involved in decisions on norms and procedures. Young people add diversity and a belief that change is possible. If engaged young they are more likely to continue to participate in the decision making processes which will lead to a system that has more legitimacy with the population. Finally, young people are the ones who will be most affected and affected for the longest by decisions made today – it is only logical that we should be involved in these decisions.