Family Group Conferences (FGCs) are the primary forum in New Zealand for dealing with juvenile crime as well as child welfare issues. This third volume in The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding Series is about the juvenile justice system that is built around these conferences. Since their introduction in New Zealand, Family Group Conferences have been adopted in many places throughout the world. They have been applied in many arenas including child welfare, school discipline, and criminal justice, both juvenile and adult. In fact, FGCs have emerged as one of the most promising models or restorative justice. This book describes the basics and rationale for this approach to juvenile justice, as well as how an FGC is conducted. Allan MacRae is Southern Regional coordinator for Youth Justice in New Zealand, overseeing youth justice for much of the South Island. Howard Zehr is one of the founders of the field of restorative justice and is often called upon to interpret restorative justice in many parts of the world.
