For a kid on the street who is caught breaking the law, everyone seems to be against him and his future looks bleak at best.  A police officer becomes a threat as an authority figure.  A social worker is seen to be another threat by the authorities. The end of the line is incarceration in a detention center for juvenile delinquents. No other options. And after spending time in a juvenile center, a young kid can find himself at the beginning of a path that leads towards more social exclusion and isolation. Could the whole picture be changed to avoid the alienation of the youngster and instead become a path towards restoration and inclusion?

To respond to this challenge, Questscope, in cooperation with UNICEF,  held a week-long training seminar on Restorative Justice in April 2007 for 30 Iraqi juvenile court judges, probation officers and social workers.  Throughout the training, everyone learned new ways to handle juvenile offenders. 

Each of the participants was able to share and articulate ways to restore children to more positive social relationships.  Discussions included alternative sentencing (instead of incarceration as the only option), preventive measures to keep kids out of trouble, and procedures that increase the sense of being respected and safe in children.

At the conclusion of the seminar, the 30 participants developed a new vision for a justice system in Iraq specifically designed to assist juvenile offenders to reintegrate into society. UNICEF will collaborate with them to respond to their needs to start training others and make their vision a reality.