Youth crime, justice and young offenders

Revolving Doors has published First Generation: One Year On, a report on how police and crime commissioners are shaping local responses to young adults, people with complex needs and other key groups. The report’s findings include that:

  • Young adults are the age group most likely to come into contact with the criminal justice system;
  • Young people consistently fall between the gaps between youth and adult systems; and
  • 31 of police and crime plans made reference to young people as offenders or potential offenders while just 13 plans mentioned young people as victims.

To download the report visit www.t2a.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Revolving-Doors-First-Generation-2013.pdf.

The Ministry of Justice has published Modern Youth Offending Partnerships.

The new statutory guidance for Youth Offending Teams and local partners in England updates previous guidance to reflect recent reforms, including the introduction of police and crime commissioners, the new health commissioning structures and initiatives such as ‘Troubled Families'.

To download the guidance visit www.justice.gov.uk/news/press-releases/yjb/new-guidance-issued-to-ensure-youth-offending-teams-remain-effective.

The Home Office has published The Start of a Criminal Career: Does the Type of Debut Offence Predict Future Offending, a report on whether the type of debut offence predicts future offending. Key points include:

  • Chronic offenders were predominantly male and most likely to have received their first caution or conviction aged 10 to 17 years; and
  • The type of debut offence committed was a significant predictor of chronic offending status, taking into consideration gender and age at debut offence with only 1 in 5 young men aged 10 to 17 years at their first caution or conviction did not commit a further proven offence.

To download the report visit www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/261222/horr77.pdf.

The Ministry of Justice has published the triennial review of the Youth Justice Board.

It concluded that all of the Board’s functions remain necessary and makes 14 key recommendations relating to the delivery of these functions. The recommendations include proposals to give the Ministry more oversight of the Board.

For further information visit www.justice.gov.uk/news/press-releases/yjb/conclusion-of-the-youth-justice-board-triennal-review.

The Youth Justice Board and HM Inspectorate of Prisons have released an analysis of 15 – 18 year olds’ perceptions of their experiences in young offender institutions for 2012 – 13. Key findings from the analysis include:

  • A third of young men surveyed said they had spent time in local authority care, while 61 percent of young women had been in care;
  • 30 percent of young men surveyed said they had felt unsafe at their establishment, compared to 17 percent of young women;
  • A quarter of young men surveyed said they had no one to turn to if they had a problem;
  • 65 percent of young women surveyed reported that on arrived they had problems contacting family;
  • All the young women who answered the question said they were taking part in education and 71 percent thought it would help them on release; and
  • BME young men were less likely than white young men to report that most staff treated them with respect.

To download the analysis visit www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/inspectorate-reports/hmipris/summaries-of-juvenile-survey-responses/hmip-children-young-people-in-custody-12-13.pdf.

The Home Office has published Ending gang and youth violence: review 2012 to 2013, the report of the Ending Gang and Youth Violence Programme, which reports that work by the government, police, health professionals and community projects is all seen to be contributing to a reduction in gang violence.

The report, which can be downloaded at www.gov.uk/government/news/youth-violence-falls-in-areas-targeted-by-governments-ending-gangs-programme, finds overall reductions in police recorded violent crime offences involving 10-19 year olds have been observed in the areas targeted by the Ending Gang and Youth Violence (EGYV) programme in 2012-13 compared with 2011-12.

The Home Office, working with the Youth Justice Board, Department for Education, College of Policing and Public Health England, is running a series of training events for frontline professionals on how to identify and support gang-associated women and girls.

The events are for practitioners who may encounter gang-associated women and girls in their day-to-day work, but are not expert in the issues affecting this group.

The event will be held in Nottingham on Tuesday 25 February as well as London on Friday 24 January and Tuesday 4 March, and Manchester on Monday 3 February.

For further information visit www.chimat.org.uk/resource/view.aspx?RID=180332&src=KU.

Young Minds has published Same Old…the experiences of young offenders with mental health needs, a report on the experiences of young offenders with mental health needs. Key findings include:

  • Only four percent of young people reported a good transition from child to adult mental health services;
  • 95 percent of imprisoned young offenders have a mental health disorder;
  • 80 percent of young people surveyed had one to five vulnerabilities, ranging from mental health issues, behavioural issues and social problems; and
  • 40 percent of young people had been homeless in the six months before entering custody.

To download the report visit www.youngminds.org.uk/assets/0000/9472/Barrow_Cadbury_Report.pdf.