Information on Loughborough

Cash boost to cut youth crime

Posted on 01/09/2009

Leicestershire Councty Council Chief Executive's

28 August 2009

Cash boost to cut youth crime

Leicestershire’s Youth Offending Service (LYOS) has been awarded £90,000 to help prevent young people leaving custody returning to crime.

The Government grant, which will be delivered over a two year period, will enable LYOS to expand its resettlement services.

The cash is part of a national initiative to reduce youth offending in England and Wales.

In Leicestershire it will help fund a project to bring together and coordinate agencies to make sure the needs of youngsters leaving custody are met.

It will also help LYOS provide enhanced support to young people before and after they are released in a bid to reduce re-offending.

The project will employ a full-time coordinator, two part time staff and a team of volunteer mentors.

Figures show that in the year ending March 2009, there was a 30 per drop in the number of recorded offences committed by young people in the county, compared to the previous year.

The number of young people entering the criminal justice system for the first time also fell from 1,250 in 2005/6 to 598 in 2008/09 - a reduction of 53.7 per cent.

The latest cash boost will help the LYOS in its work to reduce youth offending across the county.

Byron Rhodes, Cabinet Member for  Safer Communities at Leicestershire County Council, said: “The Youth Offending Service works incredibly hard to reduce youth crime in Leicestershire and is very succesful.

I am pleased it has been granted this money which will assist in its work to prevent young people from re-offending and help to make Leicestershire a safer place. Just as importantly, it will help our young people to get back on track and give them a chance to make something of their lives.”

The LYOS will be given £40,000 towards the scheme in 2009/10 and £50,000 inn 2010/11.

For more information about the Youth Offending Service visit: www.leics.gov.uk/youthjustice

Notes:

Leicestershire Youth Offending Service, in partnership with other agencies, undertakes a wide range of work with young people to reduce the risk of reoffending.

Services the LYOS helps provide include parental groups, bail support, education advice and guidance, basic skills and assistance in making sure young people within the criminal justice system are in suitable accomodation.

It also has a range of initiatives that work with young people who are at risk from offending. These include:

  • The IMPACT Project, which works with young people in anti-social   behaviour hotspot areas
  • The Anti-Social Behaviour Team which works with young people who are subject to Acceptable Behaviour Contracts
  • The Parenting Team which works with parents of young people at risk of offending or re-offending