Volunteers are needed to join youth offender panels across the country. If you become a panel member you will be joining the thousands of volunteers who are already seeing their efforts pay off to tackle crime in their area.
For more information read below, see our frequently asked questions and read what panel members think about their role.
If you are an employer who would like to know more about your staff becoming panel members, see our page on employers and youth offender panels.
What are they?
Youth offender panels are a ground-breaking way of dealing with young people who commit crime. They provide an opportunity for young people to speak for themselves, rather than through representation, and to take responsibility for their actions.
A young person is referred to the panel by the courts through a sentence called a Referral Order, which is usually given to 10 to 17 year olds who plead guilty to a first court conviction, although from April 2009 it will be available to some other young offenders. A Referral Order can be for three to 12 months, depending on the seriousness of the crime.
A Youth Offender Panel consists of two volunteers recruited directly from the local community, alongside one member of the youth offending team (YOT). The panel will meet with the young person, and their parents or guardians, to talk about the reasons for the offending behaviour and to agree a tailor-made contract aimed at putting things right. The victim is encouraged to attend the meeting to tell the young person how the crime affected them.
The contract may include a letter of apology to the victim, removing graffiti or cleaning up estates and communities. It will also include activities to prevent further offending, such as getting young people back into school and help with alcohol or drug misuse.
The contract is supervised by the YOT and reviewed at regular panel meetings. The conviction is "spent" when the order is successfully completed. If the young person fails to comply, the case is sent back to court and a different sentence may be given.
Youth offender panels give the community a say in creating effective programmes that ensure young people who offend repair the harm done and are given positive help to prevent further offending.
Volunteers need to be 18 years old or over and may spend about three hours a fortnight working on the panel. Panel meetings can be arranged around your existing work and other commitments. If you decide to become a panel member, you’ll receive specific training on, for instance, how panels work and your role in the process; restorative justice (repairing the harm done) and agreeing a contract.
You can do it
Being a panel member is a challenging yet rewarding role. If you want to see less crime in your community, this is the perfect opportunity to get actively involved. It makes no difference where you come from or what you do, as long you are over 18 years old and are willing to make a difference in your community.
To find out what it’s like to be a panel member, watch the People Like You video.
To become a panel member, contact your local YOT.