New Youth Justice System is Proving Successful

Young offenders going through the new youth justice system are less likely to be reconvicted according to a report from the Audit Commission (published 21/1/04) .

Reconviction rates of young people given reprimands has fallen by 10% since the reforms were introduced and young offenders are much less likely to offend whilst on bail, with the rate falling from one in three in 1996 to one in five now.

Whilst the adult prison population has continued to soar (with the huge costs this entails), the introduction of new sentences for juveniles and the fall in the numbers reconvicted have meant the juvenile prison population has not.

The Audit Commission's study, Youth Justice 2004, reviews the changes that have taken place since its ground-breaking report of 1996, Misspent Youth which led to significant organisational changes.

The findings show that:

· Young offenders New Youth Justice System is Proving Successful they are now dealt with much more quickly - they are sentenced in half the time that it took 7 years ago.

· By 2003 the authorities took constructive steps to engage with 90% of young offenders who were caught by police, more than double the figure two years earlier.

· More than one in three young offenders now receive the new Referral Orders or Reparation Orders.

Audit Commission Chairman James Strachan said:

"These are encouraging findings. Public concerns about the level of crime dominate the media. Here we have some good news: a new way of dealing with young offenders that is working; young offenders on the new programmes are now less likely to be reconvicted than before."

The Report also says ..."Many young offenders who end up in custody have a history of professionals failing to listen, assessments not being followed by action and nobody being in charge. If effective early intervention had been provided for just one-in-ten of these young people, annual savings in excess of £100m could have been made."


Generally this is encouraging news ... why does it not get reported? Why is there a general perception of unruly kids .... why do the media continue to demonise the young ..... why do people demand more penalties ...... more surveillance ? Why is the debate about youth crime so ill informed ? Why don't we listen to the young ?

Let's remember it's we who are failing ... not the kids.