1. Follow-up of the MATRA project: Alternative sanctions and educational measures Frans Grobbe Zagreb, december

2. MATRA: NL expert assistance for candidate and new member states of EU
Involved in juvenile delinquency project in Croatia:
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (central beneficiary)
Ministry of Justice, State attorney’s offices, Juvenile courts, the Ministry of Interior and Police, Centres for Social Welfare
Participating in conferences, workshops, ‘pilot’ projects and study visits

3. Main focus in the project
Improved conditions for an adequate system of delivery of educational measures.
Improved working methods in the assessment and decision phase of the educational measures.
Improved working methods in the implementation phase of the educational measures.

4. Contribution to the conference
Overview of the approach in the Netherlands
Participation in the implementation discussion of STOP in the Croatian practice

5. Halt in the Netherlands
Aiming to prevent and combat juvenile crime 

6. HALT approach
The aim of the Halt programme is to hand out
an alternative punishment – Het ALTernatief in Dutch – to make these juveniles aware of their
behaviour, to give them the chance to right their wrongs and to make it clear to them that criminal behaviour is unacceptable. If they take part in the Halt programme, juveniles can also avoid having a criminal record.

7. Origin of Halt 1981: first Halt office in Rotterdam
Reaction to widespread juvenile crime
Focus on combat and prevent vandalism
Alternative for Public Prosecutor (no registration juveniles and less cases dismissed)

8. Repression tasks and prevention tasks
Halt programmes
Several crime prevention programmes

9. Halt arrangement in criminal law

10. Results Halt programmes 2016
In 2016 Halt executed appr Halt programmes
Appr. a third of the percentage of juveniles who are
arrested by the police are referred to Halt

11. Criteria Halt programme
Age juvenile: 12 – 18 years
Offence on list Halt offences
Juvenile admits crime
Juvenile is first offender
Juvenile (and parents) agree with referal to Halt

12. Halt offences Legale base Halt programm: criminal code Article 77e
Dutch Penal Code.
Shoplifting, embezzlement and fencing goods
Vandalism, simple destructions including graffiti
Firework offences
Absence from school
Public intoxication
Disturbing the order in public transport

13. Motivation criminal behaviour Halt juveniles
25% wants to join the group
12% is stirred up by friends
11% does it for excitement/kick
10% does it for fun
7% does it out of being bored

14. Limits Halt programme Arrangement for recidivism
Not involved in a criminal procedure, prosecuted by Public Prosecutor or Court
Halt programme takes maximum 20 hours
Theft (including shoplifting), fencing goods: maximum of € 150
Public property destruction, public disorderly conduct: maximum of € 900 each person, for total group € 4500

15. Elements Halt programme
Several conversations (with juvenile and parents)
Apologizing to victim
Paying damage
Learning skills
Community service
Involvement of parents

16. Steps in the implementation
Referral
The HALT punishment always occurs at the referral of the police, the Public Prosecution Service or a special investigating officer (e.g. a school attendance officer) .
Performance of the HALT punishment
Starts with an interview with the youth and his/her parents. In this interview, the punishment is determined based on the nationally-determined sentencing indications.
The number of hours that the punishment continues is between 2 and 20 hours. The content of the punishment matches as much as possible the crime committed and the age of the youth. This increases the learning effect . A HALT punishment generally comprises the following parts:
Interviews with the youth and his/her parents.
Offering apologies to the victim.
Performing educational assignments.
Paying for any damage.
Sometimes the youth is given community service.
Signalling, evaluation and aftercare
Sometimes youth cross the line because they have problems. Because of this, HALT always looks to see whether underlying causes, such as problems at home or at school, were the reasons for the punishable behaviour.

17. Advantages Halt programme
Pedagogical alternative for traditional prosecution
Halt reacts at an early stage, swiftly and consistently to the offence
Confronts juvenile with consequences of behavior
The arrangement links with the offence
Juvenile can avoid criminal record
(Financial) compensation for victim included in procedure
Less cases to Public Prosecutor

18. Halt: the preventive task
Educational programmes for children
Central themes:
Criminal behaviour
Norms and values
Group conduct
Learning to say 'no'
Special prevention projects like:
Safe School programmes
Local prevention projects focused on specific risk groups
Cooperation with police, health authorities and juvenile probation service 

19. Finances
Halt programmes: Central financing by Ministry of Security and Justice, based on output
Educational programmes: Financed by ordering party, such as municipalities, provinces and ministries

20. More information? Please visit our website: www.halt.nl/english or
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