Promoting Community Sentences

Frances DoneChair, Youth Justice Board

6th July 2011

Youth Justice Board’s Strategic Objectives

• Prevent offending

• Reduce offending

• Protect the public and support victims

• Promote the safety and welfare of children and young people in the criminal justice system

Young people in the Criminal Justice System

2000 2010 Change

Sentenced by the courts 91,480

73,874 -19%Custodial sentences 7,414

4,219 -43%Community sentences

35,972 47,746 +33%

Source: http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/criminal-justice/criminal-justice-statistics.htm

                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Source: http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/youth-justice/custody-data.htm

April 2011 data

Chart 3. Average Secure Estate for Children and Young People Population, 2000/01 - 2010/11 YTD*

2,000

2,200

2,400

2,600

2,800

3,000

3,200

3,400

3,600

2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11*

Average Secure Estate Custody Population (under 18's) Average Secure Estate Custody Population (inc 18 year olds)

Reconviction rates for young people 2000 and 2009

2000 (%) 2009 (%)

Referral Order* 45.1 37.1

Community penalty 63.7 66.9

Custody 75.7 71.9

Binary reconviction rates from young people in England and Wakes.

* Data for Referral orders relates to 2002, the first year this data is available.

Source: http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/reoffending/juveniles.htm

Table A5

Frequency of reoffending by young peopleFrequency rate

151.4142.1 141.5

132.4125.0 123.1

115.7 113.9 110.5

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

2000 Q1 2001 Q1 2002 Q1 2003 Q1 2004 Q1 2005 Q1 2006 Q1 2007 Q1 2008 Q1 2009 Q1

Year

Fre

qu

ency

of

re-o

ffen

din

g (

per

100

o

ffen

der

s)

No

data

for

2001

Q1

The frequency of re-offending by juveniles has also fallen – by 27% since 2000, and 3% since 2008.

Source: http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/reoffending/juveniles.htmTable A5

Maximising the use of community sentences

Key Factors:• Sentencing guidelines

• Availability of suitable and flexible and robust sentences

• Achieving the confidence of sentencers

• Ensuring young people have the support they need to fulfil the requirements of their community sentence

Green paper on Justice – Opportunities

• Improving the flexibility of the Referral Order – focus on restorative justice

• Focus on preventing breach of community sentences - compliance panels

• Reducing unnecessary use of remand and transferring costs of secure remands to local authorities

• Securely remanded young people will become Looked After Children

• Youth justice reinvestment (custody) pathfinders

Promotion of Community Sentences – Concerns

• Potential for budget pressures to reduce availability/flexibility of community sentences

• Potential for loss of central focus and oversight on community/custody issue

Promoting Community Sentences

Frances DoneChair, Youth Justice Board

6th July 2011