Transforming Youth Custody
Presented to the Alternative Provision Reference Group
Lin Hinnigan
Chief Executive
Youth Justice Board for England and Wales
26 February 2014
The Youth Justice Board (YJB)
Role of the YJB
• The YJB is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) that oversees the youth justice system in
England and Wales
• Created by the Crime and Disorder Act (1998) with specific functions set in statue
Our Vision….
• Young people receive the support they need to lead crime-free lives and contribute positively to
society;
• More offenders are caught, held to account for their actions and stop offending;
• Victims are better supported; and,
• The public are protected.
Working in Partnership
Health
Probation
Youth
Offending
Team
Police
Education
Children’s
Services
Working in Partnership
Police
Youth
Justice
Board
PCCs
Voluntary
Sector
Attorney
General
NHS
Commissioning
Board
CDRPs / CSPs
Children’s
Services
YOTS
Probatio
n
Victims
YOIs
Witnesses
Defendants
STCs
Young Offenders
SCHs
Families
Local
Authorities
Children’s
Services
Young People at risk
WG
Ministry of
Justice
Housing
Bodies
DfE
Courts
NOMS
DoH
CPS
CCGs
DCLG
Home
Office
Children
Services World
Youth
Justice World
Criminal
Justice World
Children in the Youth Justice System
Summary
• 67% fewer young people entering the Youth Justice System since 2002/03
• Reduction of 49% in the number of young people in custody over the same period
• The overall (binary) re-offending rate for young people was 35% in 2011/12
Of those young people in custody…
Education
Complex backgrounds
• Half of 15-17 year olds entering YOIs have
• 30% reported being in local authority care
literacy levels equivalent to 7-11yrs
• 88% of boys and 74% of girls in YOIs have
been excluded from school
at some point in their lives
• 39% have been on the child protection
register or experienced abuse / neglect
Aims of a Secure College
Improve Education
• Increase quantity and quality of education
• A culture of learning
Help reduce reoffending
• Fully integrated multi-disciplinary approach
• Improved resettlement
Provide blueprint for transforming youth custody
•
Proving the Secure College concept
Reduce Costs
•
Lower operating cost
•
Closure of YOI, STC and some SCH capacity
•
Ongoing savings from a network of secure colleges
Wider improvements to the estate (short-medium term)
YOI Reform
• Scope: reforming the leadership, regime and staffing of public sector YOIs to facilitate a much-enhanced
education service.
• Outcomes: education providers represented on a YOI senior management team and influencing leadership of
the establishment; a more integrated regime which facilitates enhanced education provision and effective
resettlement.
Education Contracts
• Scope: securing new education contracts in public sector YOIs which seek to deliver a substantial increase in
the number of hours education each week
• Outcomes: increase in education hours delivered each week; increase engagement and attainment of young
people in YOIs
Resettlement
• Scope: improving the processes for the resettlement of young offenders leaving custody, including the
development of regional employer forums, roll-out of strategic resettlement consortia and improved sentence
planning processes.
• Outcomes: increase in young people entering education, training or employment on release; increase in
number of young offenders returning to appropriate accommodation; reduced reoffending
STC Retender
• Scope: re-commissioning STC provision to facilitate transition to Secure Colleges
• Outcomes: reduction in STC operating cost; improvement in service delivery
Discussion
Question 1 - What lessons can be learned from the AP sector?
•
How do we make the most effective use of of the short time we have to
educate children?
•
How do we ensure smooth transition of children in custody into / out of
education provision?
Question 2 - How should we engage with the AP sector?