SCOTLAND
Scheme hailed for drop in youth crime in Glasgow
Youth crime in Glasgow has fallen by almost a third since 2006 according to new figures.
A report by the city's Youth Justice Services said there had been a 30% reduction in the number of offences referred to the children's reporter. The study also showed an 11% drop in serious violent crime committed by under-18s last year.
A scheme offering young people under 18 an alternative to remand was launched in the city last September. The Intensive Monitoring and Support Service, which had previously been offered to those under 16, runs through the children's hearing system and combines social work, education, addiction and mental health resources to deliver a 24-hour support service to young people where necessary. The fall in youth offending has been hailed as proof that programmes like this are making a difference.
Councillor James Coleman, deputy leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "What we have now in Glasgow are youth justice services that are effective, efficient and based upon the best available evidence. Glasgow's youth justice services are now often seen as a model of good practice in themselves and that is something we want to maintain."
During 2008/2009 a total of 2,077 children and young people were referred to the children's reporter for 4,570 offences. That is compared with 2,918 offenders referred in 2006/2007 for a total of 6,501 offences.
The report also found that just 7.5% of young people over the age of criminal responsibility were involved in any offending and 1% of young people were responsible for 10% of Glasgow's youth crime.
Neil Hunter, director of Glasgow West Community Health and Care Partnership and chair of Glasgow's Youth Justice Strategy Group, said: "This research shows that widespread anxiety about Glasgow's young people is often misplaced. The vast majority of young people in Glasgow are valued members of their communities and make a positive contribution. Against this we have found that a very small number of young people commit a disproportionate number of offences."
Offending behaviour
He added: "We target our specialist interventions at this small
group of often very vulnerable young people and this has resulted in a
clear reduction in overall offending. A great many young lives have
changed for the better as a result of their involvement in services and
that can only be for the benefit of Glasgow as a whole."
The work done by Glasgow Youth Justice Service to reduce offending among young people was also praised by the Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill. He said: "To stop these young people becoming trapped in a life of crime we have to act now, challenge offending behaviour and provide opportunities for change.
"This has clearly worked well in Glasgow and we will ensure that lessons are learned from this success, and used to inform the wider work we are taking forward nationally to reduce reoffending."
BBC News
1 March 2010
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8544000.stm
