UK
Innovative charity schemes prevent youth crime — think tank
Charities are more effective than Government services in rehabilitating troubled young people and preventing reoffending, according to a charity think tank.
Trial and Error, a report on youth justice in England and Wales, published by New Philanthropy Capital (NPC), found that youth custody was becoming a form of "respite care" for local authorities that were failing to invest in effective alternatives. The report said local authorities had fewer incentives to invest in alternatives, as custody was paid for by the Youth Justice Board.
Iona Joy, author of the NPC report, said: "We know that 75% of young people reoffend within a year of release, and the current 'get tough' stance on youth crime has not worked. We found that many charities like Barnardo's, Dance United and Action for Children are providing more effective support for young people, which stops them having to go down the custody route and helps get their lives back on track."
The report examined schemes aimed at helping troubled young people, which were being piloted by more than 50 charities working with young people who had committed or were at high risk of committing a crime. These projects were found to be successful in reaching young people and getting them back into education and employment.
Bradford-based charity Dance United runs a 12-week programme for young offenders and those at risk of offending. A study, by Manchester University, into the organisation's programme, found that half of the students involved did not reoffend and the severity and frequency of offences was reduced among those who did return to crime.
Matt was 14 when he joined one of the courses. He has since gone on to audition for one of the country's top contemporary dance schools. He said: "The course was really tough, they were pushing you every two minutes but even though sometimes I wanted to leave, a part of me knew I had to keep going. Doing that course has turned my life around completely. It got me into college, I'm doing my A-levels and it's a really big step forward. I look at my friends and none of them have got anything, two of them have been in and out of prison and it makes me think about what could have happened to me."
Tara Herbert, artistic director at Dance United, believes the course allows young people to become more focused and confident. She said: "I think a lot of young people need structure as they get caught up in a world without boundaries. They get that structure and discipline from dance. It's a hard job, your feet hurt, your muscles ache and that's just after one day.
"The young people we take on do this five days a week for 12 weeks. We don't focus on what they've done but on what they can achieve. All of these young people have potential, not all of them will get there, but we've got to give them a chance."
Other charities mentioned in the NPC report which are exploring new methods to tackle reoffending, include The Brandon Centre in London, which uses multisystemic therapy (MST) an intensive family-based therapy that focuses on preventing persistent offenders from reoffending, and Action for Children, which is looking at intensive fostering.
The report concluded that community-based alternatives to custody could lead to a reduction in young people facing sentences if the charities involved could provide evidence of the effectiveness of their schemes.
Although custody figures have decreased over the past few months, England and Wales have the highest rates of youth custody in western Europe, with numbers having tripled between 1991 and 2006.
Although the Youth Rehabilitation Order, introduced in November, highlighted the need to find alternatives to custody, Penelope Gibbs, a director of the Prison Reform Trust, wants the Government to go further. She said: "Spending up to £200,000 a year locking up a young teenager is likely to be money down the drain. Money should be diverted from custody to early intervention and to better support those who are in trouble with the law. Only a tiny minority of those presently imprisoned really need to be there."
NPC is a consultancy and think tank dedicated to helping funders and charities achieve a greater impact. For more information go to www.philanthropycapital.org.
Gemma Roberts
24 February 2010
http://www.communitynewswire.press.net/article.jsp?id=6552874
