In July the UK Government published a Youth Crime Action Plan to set out its approach to tackling youth crime. YMCA England has produced a response to the plan highlighting their main concerns and recommendations.
When the youth justice system was established in England and Wales ten years ago, the Government sought to be ‘tough on youth crime’ by introducing new powers and compulsions. This led to more young people coming into contact with the criminal justice system and promoted a negative perception of young people in society. YMCA England believes that this approach has resulted in a system that only grants young people the welfare support they need once they have entered the criminal justice system – this intervention comes too late.
Amongst the recommendations, the response calls for local authorities to take greater responsibility for its young people. 'We want to see a community where young people belong, which when they get into trouble with the law rallies around and considers how the community failed the child, rather than ostracising them.' It also calls for better rehabilitation and resettlement opportunities which, in cases of detention, begin when the young person is still in custody. 'Job opportunities and increased training while young people are still in prison ensures that time spent in prison is not wasted. Moreover it would go a long way in equipping young people with valuable skills, and would better position young people from choosing crime again for economic reasons.'
Download a copy of YMCA England’s response to the Youth Crime Action Plan here.
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