Many people are affected by crime in South Africa: some are victims; others are witnesses. Many more family members are affected. No matter how big or small the crime, how violent or non-violent - witnesses and survivors may need help.

The NICRO Community Victim Support Programme provides comprehensive support services to both victims and witnesses. This programme is currently operational in more than 83 communities in eight of South Africa’s provinces and from 1998 to 2004 over 60 victim and witness support centres were initiated by NICRO nationwide. NICRO also trains those who rendering support services to victims of crime.

Do You Need Help?

If you do, the NICRO Community Victim Support Programme is there for you:

We listen to what happened and provide essential support,
We help you lay a charge,
We assist you with court procedures,
We help you find ways of staying safe in the future, and
We stand by you when you need us most.

If you need help urgently and it is outside of office hours, please call LIFELINE in your area.

You may not know that you need help. If you have been a victim of crime, or witnessed a crime, and you are experiencing the following, you may need essential support:

"I was an abused woman for many years but, I lacked the inner strength to try to change the circumstances I was living in until I made contact with Nicro " Domestic Violence Survivor

You can't stop thinking about what happened,
You have difficulties with your memory,
You have difficulty sleeping,
You are afraid to visit the place where the crime occurred or your home is no longer a safe haven,
Your eating habits have changed,
You are moody,
You can't concentrate,
You have nightmares,
You use alcohol or drugs more frequently,
You are experiencing sexual problems,
You feel depressed, anxious or fearful,
You feel guilty,
You can't get on with your life.

Everyone experiences crime differently. If you are experiencing any uncomfortable changes in your life as a result of crime, we may be able to help. Talking about it is the first step to getting your life back on track. Doing something concrete about it also helps. We can support you through this process.

Who will help you?

"Their Professional and caring approach helped me deal with my feelings and fears in the aftermath of the incident " Survivor of Crime

Trained NICRO service deliverers and community volunteers offer a caring, supportive service to people affected by crime. NICRO offers comprehensive victim support services at police stations, at magistrates' courts, at community centres and from our offices. Workers are available to assist schools and other community groups on request. Not all areas in the country are served at the moment, but the NICRO Community Victim Support service is growing constantly.

NICRO also offers training to service providers working with all victims of crime.

One of the most common yet hidden crimes in South Africa is the abuse of women by their partners. This may take the form of emotional, sexual, physical or psychological abuse. The NICRO Community Victim Support Programme is there to help women in violent relationships to reach the point where they can extract themselves from their brutal circumstances and go on to live safe and free lives.

Can YOU help?

You could:

Apply to become a trained NICRO volunteer and support victims of crime;
Nominate someone who has offered outstanding victim support or who has made extraordinary progress after being a victim of crime for the NICRO COMMUNITY SAFETY AWARD;
Provide equipment for NICRO's offices and victim support centres [click here for more details];
Offer legal advice to victims of crime; and
Offer financial support, big or small, to the project by contacting your nearest NICRO office or NICRO’s National Office.

You can choose to do something about crime in your neighbourhood, and in South Africa, rather than living in fear. Many ordinary citizens belong to their neighbourhood watch, street committee, residents' association or another community structure where they contribute actively to making their community safer.

Please contact your nearest NICRO office to get or offer help.

Developing Young People's Potential

Diversion for Young Offenders and Youth Development

The NICRO Diversion Programme was born in the early 1990s in response to the vast numbers of young people caught up in the criminal justice system and who found themselves in prison. Diversion offers an alternative option to dealing with young people's offending behaviour - the young offender is diverted away from the criminal justice system into a suitable programme that makes him/her accountable for his/her actions. Recently the highly successful work with young people has been expanded to include youth-at-risk. In the first longitudinal study on the success of diversion it was found that only 6.3% of young people re-offended in the first year after completion of the programme.

Do you need help or know of someone who does?

NICRO Diversion Programme is for young people in conflict with the law, with participants most frequently being referred by a prosecutor. The case is withdrawn on condition that the young person successfully completes the diversion option to which s/he has been assigned. The programme:

Develops young people's potential;
Makes young offenders accountable for their actions;
Encourages them to heal the damage they have caused;
Encourages them commit their free time to learning a new way of life; and

Assists participants to map a constructive and healthy future with the assistance of those closest to them.

Most participants are between 14 and 18 years of age, although some may be a little older or younger.

A special programme is drawn up for each participant and usually includes one or more of the following options:

The Youth Empowerment Scheme
Pre-trial Community Service
The Journey Leadership Programme
A Family Group Conference

1. Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES)

YES is a life-skills training programme that usually runs for eight sessions and assists the participants to take stock of their lives. It puts a brake on "going off the rails". Parents or guardians are invited to participate and are encouraged to support the progress of the participants.

2. Pre-trial Community Service (PTCS)

"Diversion has increased the court's options of dealing with first offenders and setting them straight before they get involved in more serious crime " Magistrate

The Pre-trial Community Service Programme arranges for the young person concerned to commit him/herself to serving the community for a recommended number of hours, instead of appearing court. Pre-trial Community Service is often used in conjunction with other diversion options. NICRO staff place young people in suitable community service settings, depending on their skills and where they are needed most. On completion of the service, the charge is withdrawn.

3. Family Group Conferences (FGC)

Family Group Conferences offer an opportunity to mediate between those affected by crime. Conferences brings together the young offenders, their families and the victims of crime to discuss what went wrong, how it can be repaired and what can be done to put things right.

A contract spelling out the agreement about how the damage can be repaired, and a plan of action, is signed. The prosecutor is informed once all the goals have been achieved. This is a highly successful way of assisting young people to understand the impact of their actions, and the power they have to put things right. A conference provides healing for all concerned. It is true restorative justice in action.

4. The Journey

The Journey is an intensive intervention and training programme aimed at high-risk youth, lasting between two and six months. The programme, which involves life and vocational skills training in addition to adventure education, encourages self-expression, self-esteem, commitment and accountability. Every element of The Journey is carefully implemented to nurture personal reflection as well as respect, integrity, fundamental life values and a sense of community. It is aimed at the more serious and multiple offenders. Where possible, community mentors support participants through the challenging process that they commit to when they start the Journey. An individual plan is put in place for each participant for a constructive future.

Other Services:

"The Family Group Conference made me feel that my rights as the victim were respected. What I had to say about the incident was taken seriously " Victim of Crime

NICRO is in the process of piloting a crime prevention programme in schools
Training of criminal justice personnel
NICRO trains people who work with youth, especially those in the criminal justice system and those who offer diversion services

The NICRO Juta Write for a Safer South Africa Project, an annual competition to solicit young people's opinions about making South Africa safer

Can You Help?

NICRO needs help to work with young people in conflict with the law. You could:

Approach NICRO to become a mentor;
Train to facilitate the YES programme;
Provide a place where young people can serve their pre-trial community service hours;
Train to become a mediator of Family Group Conferences;
Nominate someone who has blown the whistle against crime through working with young people, rendering excellent service to young people or a young person who has shown excellent progress for the NICRO COMMUNITY SAFETY AWARD;
Donate equipment, especially for the Journey; and

Offer financial support, big or small, to assist young people to turn their lives around.

Please contact your nearest NICRO office to get or offer help.

Copies of this Annual Report are available from the NICRO National Office nicro@wn.apc.org