Youth Justice Service

Young people involved, or at risk of, criminal behaviour are often vulnerable and present risk to the communities they live in. Involvement in crime often means that they have complex needs that haven’t been identified at an earlier age. This includes family breakups, trauma, educational barriers, exploitation, poverty, substance misuse and neglect. Effective youth justice sees children as children, treats them fairly and helps to build on their strengths so they can make constructive contributions to society. This prevents offending and creates safer communities with fewer victims. Greater Manchester Youth Justice support this ‘child first’ approach.

Priorities:

• Identify opportunities for the VRU to improve the impact of work to prevent young people committing, or being victims of, violent offences.
• Develop evidence to support a child first approach to youth justice which reduces violent crime.
• Create opportunities for those working with young people to improve their skills and impact.
• Develop earlier responses for those at risk of violence to prevent them causing further harm and engaging them in positive, pro social activities.

Probation Service

Young adults are less than 10% of the general population but are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system (CJS), making up more than one third of those commencing a Court Order, one third of the probation service’s caseload and almost one third of those sentenced to prison each year. This alone demonstrates the importance of recognising the distinct needs and circumstances of young adults in developing effective approaches to reduce re- offending and preventing victims of crime.

Young adults are the most likely age group to desist and grow out of crime, although the wrong intervention at this time can slow desistance and extend the period that a young adult is involved in the CJS. Getting it right at this critical time is crucial to assisting young adults to make a successful transition to a crime free adulthood.

Priorities:

• Look at how the VRU can support initiatives to enhance the probation services interventions with young adult offenders
• Work with partners in Greater Manchester to develop innovative ways to work young people to prevent criminal behaviour.
• Probation services contribute to research to understand the nature and extent of Violence and needs of young adult offenders across GM