Staffordshire Youth Offending Service

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Staffordshire Youth Offending Service

• Youth Crime Prevention
• Sarah Piggott
• Prevention Manager
• November 2005

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A co-ordinated approach to preventing youth crime

• Prevention is better than cure!
• Prevention of crime and anti-social behaviour
• ONSET Assessment
• Diversionary Projects eg YIPs
• Reprimand and Final Warnings
• Provided by Prevention Team led by Sarah Piggott
• UMIS Database

• Working with convicted
• Young Offenders
• ASSET Assessment
• PACE
• Bail and Remand Services
• Community Orders
• Custodial Sentences
• Resettlement
• Exit Strategies
• YOIS Database

• Preventing
• re-offending
• Assessment of those at risk of re-offending
• Provision of ongoing support from other agencies
• Link to Priority and Other Prolific Offenders
  Strategy

voluntary
voluntary
statutory
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What is Youth Crime Prevention?

• Why do some children and young people become
  involved in criminal activity and others stay out
  of trouble?
• Research points to risk and protective factors
  which feature in the lives of some children and
  young people
• There is no single factor that can be specified
  as the cause of anti-social or criminal
  behaviour

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Risk Factors (1)

• Family Issues eg. Poor supervision and
  discipline Family conflict Family involvement
  in criminality Low income and poor housing Loss
  and bereavement
• School eg. Low achievement Behavioural
  difficulties Bullying Lack of commitment to
  school Performance of school
• Community eg Disadvantaged neighbourhoods
  Community neglect Drugs/alcohol Lack of
  neighbourhood attachment Availability of
  resources (i.e. guns)
• Personal/Individual - Hyperactivity/ cognitive
  impairment Lack of commitment to society
  Attitudinal opposition Early involvement in
  crime Peers who offend Victimisation

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Protective Factors (1)

• Factors signifying the opposite or absence of
  risk will help to protect children and young
  people
• Research has identified a range of factors that
  moderate the effects of exposure to risk
• This might be by preventing a risk factor from
  entering a childs life, interacting with a risk
  factor to block its adverse effects or
  interrupting the chain of influence upon
  behaviour.

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First Time Entrants in the Youth Justice System
April 03 to June 05
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Breakdown by Age
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Breakdown of Offence Type Male
Offence types more than 2 of total itemised
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Breakdown of Offence Type Female
Offence types more than 9 of total itemised
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Breakdown by District
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Breakdown of Offence Type by District
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Issues for First Time Entrants
Based on ASSET assessment data
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What do we want to achieve in South Staffordshire

• Youth Crime Prevention Co-ordinator
• Youth Crime Prevention Panel high risk
  (supporting ASB Stage 4, prevent and deter, YISP)
• YJB Funding and LPSA2
• Working in Partnership to develop a range of
  interventions based on protective factors
• eg prevention workers, intensive support
  workers, community conferencing, mentoring,
  innovative schemes in schools and with looked
  after children
• Links with development of Local Trust Boards,
  Youth Support teams, Every Child Matter outcomes