POLICY OF INEQUALITY IN YOUTH OFFENDING TEAM

Policy of Inequality in Youth Offending Team

Policy of Inequality in Youth Offending Team

Introduction

The purpose of this study is to expand the boundaries of the author's knowledge by exploring some relevant facts related to Policy of inequality in Youth Offending Team. Prior to the creation of Youth Justice Board and by proxy Youth Offending Teams, the Police, Youth Justice Services, Probation, Crown Prosecution Service, Legal aid, Youth and Crown Courts dealt with young offenders.

Their objectives as outlined in the 'just deserts' principle of the 1991 Criminal Justice Act was to reduce crime and fear of crime by punishing offenders appropriately to the crimes they committed. However, differences in emphasis on the amount or appropriate punishment to be given to young offenders grew between these agencies and a more consistent and unified approach was needed.

Youth Offending Teams were introduced in April 2000, to co-ordinate at a local level in order to help deliver the main aims of the Youth Justice system as set out in the Crime and Disorder Act (1998), namely the prevention of offending and recidivism by young people aged from 10-17 years.YOT is a multi-disciplinary team of professionals and volunteers such as the Police, the National Offenders Management Services, probation, education and health departments, housing authorities, Children and Mental Health(CAMHS), FRANK, connexions, Anti-social Behaviour team, Drugs and Action teams(DATs) and social services, these agencies work together with YOT to prevent youth offending. As a voluntary Panel member, this writer deals with children and young people between the ages of 10-17, who unfortunately could not be diverted from entering the youth justice system, but have committed an offence for the first time and pleaded guilty in other words taken responsibility for their actions and have been given a referral order usually between 3-12 months by a Magistrate.

These young people are then assigned to a youth worker in their areas who prepares a report about them, their offence, school, home life, risk of re-offending. Panel members are a minimum of 1 maximum of 3, but usually 2 members; At the initial panel the panel members are presented with the report prepared by the youth worker, they read through, meet with the young person and their parents or guardian and discuss their offence, substance misuse,(it's amazing the number of young people who are caught with class A, B and C drugs with intent to supply and of course using as well),victim awareness and the number of hours they need for their reparation, also at this meeting a contract is drawn which will detail everything from working with a substance misuse worker, a mental health worker, victim awareness and anger management programmes to decision making skills and how to manage their peers, parenting skills for the parents, re-integration into mainstream school, life skills and reparation hours where and how is also decided, some get to do graffiti removals, work with old or disabled young people, then the young person signs the contract with their parents and panel ...