A cash boost of over nine million pounds is to be invested into the West Midlands over the next three years by the YJB.
The money will be used to help prevent local children and young people from becoming involved with crime and anti-social behaviour.
Money will be given to the local Youth Offending Teams (YOTs), who provide diversionary programmes, offer mentoring, support for parents whose children are causing trouble at home, or in the community and beat officers in schools to nip offending in the bud.
Over £80m per year could be saved as early prevention reduces the harm to local communities, according to research by the Audit Commission.
Ellie Roy, Chief Executive of the YJB, said:
“Prevention is always better than cure. We know that if young people haven’t committed a crime by 14 years of age then it’s unlikely that they ever will. With facts like these and the considerable savings to local businesses, not to mention the courts, it is clear why targeted prevention is a sensible approach. The scale of the funding is our endorsement of this.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
- The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB) oversees the youth justice system in England and Wales. We work to prevent offending and reoffending by children and young people under the age of 18, and to ensure that custody for them is safe, secure, and addresses the causes of their offending behaviour.
- Specifically, we advise the Secretary of State on the operation of, and standards for, the youth justice system; monitor the performance of the youth justice system; purchase places for, and place, children and young people remanded or sentenced to custody; identify and promote effective practice; make grants to local authorities or other bodies to support the development of effective practice; commission research and publish information.
- Funding for the YJB through the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office, brings the total for prevention schemes to £99 million over the next three years for England and Wales.
- Youth offending teams (YOTs) have representatives from the police, Probation Service, social services, health, education, drugs and alcohol misuse and housing. The YOT identifies the needs of each young offender with a national assessment and acts on the specific problems that lead to the young person’s offending as well as measuring the risk they pose to others. This enables the YOT to identify suitable programmes to address the needs of the young person with the intention of preventing further offending.
- Local areas in England must report on the number of first time entrants to the youth justice system and are expected to reduce this number as part of the government’s drive to ensure children and young people are on the path to success. YOTS play a key role in this through the provision of targeted intervention designed to reduce the risk factors and strengthen the protective factors that increase the likelihood of offending. Young people at risk of offending are identified by many agencies working together including police, social services, schools and housing authorities. Prevention programmes include: Youth Inclusion and Support Panels (YISPs), Youth Inclusion Programmes (YIPs), parenting programmes and safer school partnerships. ‘Splash Cymru’ runs in Wales over the school holidays.
- The Audit Commission report: Youth Justice 2004: A Review of the Reformed Youth Justice System found that prevention work could save public services of more than £80 million a year.