This morning I attended the 'Youth Justice; The Scaled Approach, Stakeholder Briefing Event' at the Civic Hall...

From December there will be significant shanges to the youth justice system with a new sentencing framework being introduced and a 'scaled approach' to tailor interventions to the offending young person based on their risks and needs. We had inputs from Jim Hopkinson, Youth Offending Service Manager here in Leeds, and his colleagues and from Frances Done, Chair of the Youth Justice Board.

The Leeds Youth Offending Service outputs and outcomes make interesting reading:

• Ours is the 6th busiest YOS in the country;
  
• 75% of offenders are boys;
• Half the offences committed by young people are theft and handling, criminal damage and violence against the person;
• 3142 young people committed 5750 offences last year;
• Offending rates are falling!

Youth offending is strongly linked to poverty and deprivation and we need to work harder in schools with our colleagues in the police and the Youth Offending Service to target and work with vulnerable young people to give them education, employment and training alternatives.
Chris