Scottish council offers alternative to custody programme
Glasgow City Council has today launched a programme offering an alternative to remand for young people going through the court system.
The alternative to remand programme, based on the Scottish government's Intensive Support and Monitoring Service (ISMS), will introduce a multi-agency approach to working with young people while they remain in the community. Drawing on expertise in social work, education, forensic mental health, addiction services and the voluntary sector, the programme delivers support seven days a week and up to 24 hours a day where necessary.
A placement with the programme costs around 1,000 per week compared to a place in secure care, which costs around 5,000 per week.
Glasgow council figures indicate that just eight per cent of young people who were remanded into secure care in the city were subsequently sentenced to imprisonment.
The launch comes as another scheme designed as an alternative to custody for young offenders came in for criticism following a study by researchers at the University of Portsmouth. The Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP) cost 32m between 2005 and 2007 and offers young offenders the opportunity to stay at home after being convicted of a crime. During the study, more than 90 per cent committed further crimes after their period of supervision and surveillance had ended.
A spokesman for the Youth Justice Board said the study was "anecdotal rather than national research" as it was based on two out of a total of 157 schemes. "Independent research undertaken by Oxford University for the Youth Justice Board showed that ISSP presented a significant reduction in frequency and seriousness of offending and is cheaper than custody," the spokesman said.
Neil Puffett
25 August 2009
