The DEN’s Youth Justice Program is centered on an early intervention approach. Early intervention activities are the most intensive and target persons for whom a situation has already developed. Delivered as drug relapse prevention, program development over the past 2.5 years has aimed to assist young people to be more aware of the risk and protective factors which influence their choices about drug use. The program introduces these concepts whilst concurrently aiming at character building using the 8 core values[1] including:

• respect
• responsibility
• integrity
• change requires effort

Contemporary film themes, stories and characters are used as the medium to protect individual disclosure and promote discussion about assumption, intent and possible choices.

One of the innovative features of this project is the application of a social action research model in a detention setting. Ongoing consultation with young participants is structured to occur at regular intervals and the facilitator encourages and is continually open to participant feedback. This means the program content is constantly evolving within the scope of an overarching Youth Justice Strategy and within the scope of the project expected outcomes (see below).

Professional work experience, post graduate education in the area of criminal justice; a review of the literature and anecdotal feedback from young people in detention identified that the target group are accepted as ‘high risk’ for patterns of alcohol and other drugs use that is harmful to their health and well being in the short and longer term (inclusive of their personal safety and future success) and is often a recognised antecedent to offending behaviour. The objectives of the program are that young people in detention are:

• Better able to identify issues that contribute to lowering the risk of offending
• More accepting of their responsibility for successful rehabilitation by committing to, and achieving case plan goals in programs
• Better skilled to modify their behaviour and demonstrate more acceptable behaviour
• Better able to demonstrate an understanding of the needs of others and display empathy
• Better able to demonstrate problem solving skills and independence of thought and action
• Better able to display change in values, attitudes and beliefs in relation to their offending behaviours

Those serving longer sentences and with whom rapport is well established act to support other young people who are participating well and help promote discussions which underpin the program.
All groups experience the same program content however there may be different expectations dependent on point of entry to the program.

Sessions begin with a more structured component which is time limited and will reflect the outcomes of the previous session work. Delivery of this program is challenging both in terms of the cognitive and adaptive needs of some young people and their initial reaction to the program structure and delivery; access to a new facilitator and building a relationship as well as the program content.

The continuing process of program development is a solid example of community development and as such, there is as much learning involved in program development and delivery as there probably is for the young participants.

A significant highlight comes from the building of stronger client/worker relationships with young participants and the multiple ‘turning points’ their verbalized input can inference.