Chief executive Martin Mogg aims to put young people on different path

The Youth Justice Agency intends to protect the public by preventing children and young people from offending and reoffending.

The agency replaces the existing Juvenile Justice Board.

Criminal justice minister Des Browne unveiled funding of �12.65m at the launch of the agency in Belfast on Monday.

RECOMMENDATIONS TAKEN ONBOARD Improve custody provision Introduce measures for offenders in the community Develop community-based schemes

The agency will also implement the recommendations of the Criminal Justice Review, which contained recommendations for reforming the youth justice system in Northern Ireland.

Mr Browne said that effective and robust structures were being put in place.

"The (Criminal Justice Review) recommendations ranged from the need to improve our custody provision for young people; the introduction of measures for dealing with young people who offend in the community and the development of community based schemes to divert young people away from offending."

He said the agency would offer "a menu of interventions," including bail support schemes, reparation orders, community responsibility orders and youth conferencing.

Prevention

Chief executive Martin Mogg said the agency wanted to find ways to put young people on a different path.

"What we tend to do is if it's a 10-year-old, we look at their past and their upbringing to find the reasons why things happen.

"When they get to 15, we tend to say 'lock them up and throw the key away'.

"In reality, the same applies for to 15-year-olds as to 10-year-olds.

"Our job is to try to find ways of preventing them continuing on a life of crime," he said.

Victim Support spokesperson Fiona Greene said she welcomed the initiative of victims getting the chance to confront young criminals.

"It's an opportunity for victims to tell their story... to meet with the actual offender, to let them know how the crime has affected them and to perhaps receive an apology from the young person," she said.

The youth conferencing service will be tried out later this year if victims of crime have agreed to take part. Earlier in March, Mr Browne announced a �7.5m package to support the community safety strategy.