Preventing Re-offending

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Published: 06 August 2009

Preventing Re-offending

An additional £8.4m is to be invested into reducing youth re-offending and creating safer communities through improved resettlement & rehabilitation arrangements for young offenders leaving prison.

Over the next 2 years, new programmes will be established across England & Wales to break the cycle of offending for young people leaving custody each year.

Designed to ensure that young offenders make a positive contribution to society by developing essential skills and so turn their backs on a life of crime, this youth rehabilitation project will offer funding to help local areas establish & maintain the services necessary to provide practical alternatives to crime.

Justice Minister Claire Ward MP said:

“Youth crime has a devastating effect on all involved, and can also set a young person up for a lifetime of reoffending.

Breaking this cycle is key to helping put young, vulnerable people back on the right path and making our towns and neighbourhoods safer and better places to live.

We have already made real progress. Latest figures show that the frequency of youth re-offending has fallen by over 23%, and there are fewer young people entering the criminal justice system in the first place. But there is always more that can be done.

Today’s announcement will give thousands of young people leaving custody better access to key services and information – like how to find somewhere to live; how to access education and training or how to successfully apply for a job.

This in turn will help reduce re-offending and so cut crime as well as enabling these young people to make a positive contribution to their local communities”.

Children and Young People’s Minister Dawn Primarolo MP said:

“It’s important that we give young offenders leaving prison alternative options to reoffending, supporting them so that they are diverted from getting caught up in a life of crime.

We are clear that children’s services have a crucial role to play in this, giving young offenders leaving prison access to the services they need such as education and training to help them turn their lives around helping to create safer communities for everyone………………

The resettlement of young offenders is part of our triple track approach of better prevention, non-negotiable support and tough enforcement to tackle youth crime with £100 million investment in communities throughout the country through the Youth Crime Action Plan”.

This latest investment follows the one-year anniversary of the Youth Crime Action Plan, which highlighted progress against core crime fighting initiatives rolled out between November 2008 and June 2009, including:

· After School Patrols to prevent youth crime and antisocial behaviour at peak times (64,017 young people were engaged during 15,292 patrols at around 1,632 schools, with 2,497 referrals to other services)

· Youth Offending Team workers in custody suites to identify and address young offenders’ needs early on and help keep them on the right track (1,117 young people engaged with and 611 referrals to other services)

· Payback work in leisure time (including Friday and Saturday nights) – making young offenders feel the consequences of their behaviour

Further information

Audit Commission: Tired of Hanging Around

Youth Crime Action Plan

Youth Justice Board

Re-offending of juvenile statistics

Reducing Re-offending Pathways

Community Sentencing - Reducing Re-offending, Changing Lives

NOMS third sector action plan 'Working with the third sector to reduce re-offending'

Toolkit: Local Solutions to Reduce Re-offending by Adult and Young Offenders

Reducing Re-Offending through Skills and Employment: Next Steps

Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS)