WIREDGOV

More communities affected by youth crime and anti-social behaviour will, for the first time, have their say in how young offenders are punished and forced to make amends to their local neighbourhood, Justice Secretary Jack Straw announced today.

Youth Offending Teams across North West England will take part in the first official programme - 'Making Good' - allowing members of the public to propose local work for young offenders (10-17 years old). If the scheme, developed by the Youth Justice Board (YJB), proves to be successful it will be rolled-out across the country from early next year.

The type of projects expected to be put forward could range from cleaning graffiti and repairing vandalised public furniture, to work in local libraries and charity work.

'Making Good' will form part of the government's new stronger youth sentencing system - the Youth Rehabilitation Order (YRO) – which comes into effect from today (30 November) to further tackle the underlying causes of youth crime and make our neighbourhoods safer and better places to live.

Justice Secretary, Jack Straw said:

'Youth Crime, no matter how small, can wreck the lives of both victims and the young people involved.

'Making Good will empower members of the public by giving them a say in how young offenders in their communities should make amends.

'Breaking the cycle of youth crime is key to making our communities safer; preventing reoffending; and putting young and vulnerable people back on the right track. The YRO will deliver a serious punishment while also tackling the underlying causes of offending behaviour so it is easier for the young person to turn their back on crime.

'The number of young people entering the criminal justice system for the first time has fallen by over 20 per cent in the last year. These measures will build on that success.'

The YRO provides judges and magistrates with a choice of 18 rigorous options from which they will be able to create a punishment specifically designed to deal with the individual circumstances of the young offender before them and so help them turn their backs on crime.

It puts forward a range of sentencing options that will effectively punish and rehabilitate young people, including intensive fostering, intensive surveillance and supervision requirements, electronic monitoring, curfews, the required attendance of substance abuse or mental health programmes as well as undertaking tough community work and reparation. Custody will continue to be available to punish those who commit the most serious offences or who are persistent offenders.

The community payback element of YROs, which will see young offenders scrubbing off graffiti and repairing the damage wrought by vandals in cities, towns and villages across the country, not only gives offenders a hard lesson through tough punishment, but also brings a benefit to local communities who have been affected.

YJB Chair Frances Done said:

'The Making Good project allows the public to have their say on how young people make amends to their communities for their actions. For the first time local people are being asked for specific ideas for community reparation which will benefit both their local area and the young person carrying out the work. Reparation work is vital in helping the young person understand the consequences of his or her actions while repairing the harm caused by their offence'.

Schools Minister Vernon Coaker said:

'The Youth Rehabilitation Order will protect the public and prevent re-offending. We want to stop young people committing offences in the first place, but when they do commit a crime we want to make sure they get the punishment they deserve. They need to make amends in their local community, as well as receive tailored support to break away from a cycle of crime. It is also right that we give victims and the public a say in how we can make our communities safer places to live.

'Our intervention work with the families and young people most at risk of falling into crime, and our emphasis on prevention rather than cure, has resulted in 20,000 fewer young people entering the criminal justice system in the last year. However, those who commit serious crimes or are persistent offenders will still be given a custodial sentence.'

Notes to editors

Making Good

1. From 30 November 2009 until 31 January 2010, public suggestions will be considered and implemented where possible by 18 youth offending teams across the North West including in Blackburn, Blackpool, Bury, Halton and Warrington, Knowsley, Lancashire, Liverpool, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, St Helens, Salford, Sefton, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan and Wirral. The programme will be roll out across England and Wales in early 2010.
2. From 00:01 30 November North West residents who want to suggest reparation activities to be carried out in their areas should visit the Making Good section of the YJB website where they will find further information about the youth offending teams taking part as well as instructions on how to offer their ideas.
3. Community reparation work is unpaid and overseen by local youth offending teams. Each reparation session lasts approximately 2 hours and takes place at evenings and weekends.
4. Public suggestions will need to comply with a range of conditions and be subject to a thorough risk assessment
   YRO
5. Existing community sentences in respect of children and young people, will be replaced by the new YRO. Reparation and Referral Orders will continue to be available to the courts. The following requirements can be attached to a YRO:
• Activity requirement
• Supervision requirement
• Attendance Centre requirement
• Programme requirement
• Curfew requirement
• Education requirement
• Residence requirement (16/17 year olds only)
• Local Authority Residence requirement
• Drug Treatment requirement
• Mental health treatment requirement
• Intoxicating substance treatment requirement
• Exclusion requirement
• Prohibited activity requirement
• Electronic monitoring requirement
• Unpaid work requirement (16/17 Year olds only)
• Intensive fostering
• Intensive supervision and surveillance
6. The Sentencing Guidelines Council recently published the first sentencing guideline which sets out overarching principles for judges to take in account when they sentence young people.
7. More than 222,609 young people have been engaged by the Government's Youth Crime Action.
8. There has been a 21.6 per cent drop in the numbers of young people receiving a reprimand, warning or conviction for the first time in England in the last year according to new Government figures published last week.
9. By the end of March 2011 Government will have invested £122m of funding for Family Intervention Projects to confront and challenge the parents and children they work with to change their behaviour.
10. For further information please call MoJ Press Office on 020 333 4 3525 or 07825 145 176.