Young offenders in custody given chance to influence crime policy
Ben Cook
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
A 2.6m project aimed at giving young people in custody the opportunity to influence government policy on juvenile crime is set to launch next week.
The UR Boss project, run by the Howard League for Penal Reform withfunding from the Big Lottery Fund, will work with around 150 youngpeople held in custody each year.
As well as giving young offenders the opportunity to inform policy, thescheme will train them to communicate with the media and speak atParliamentary select committee hearings.
"We will have participation projects where young people can take a leadon shaping policy reports," said Andrew Neilson, assistant director atthe Howard League. "There will also be focus groups or one-on-onesessions, and young people would be given the opportunity to design thecovers of policy reports."
The charity will recruit around nine new staff to run the project overthe next five years and will work with young people up to the age of 24in young offender institutions, secure children's homes, and securetraining centres across England.
The project will also aim to give young people a say in how they spendtheir time in custody, from decisions about what they eat toestablishing committees.
Frances Crook, director of the Howard League, said: "This is the firsttime anyone has worked with young people in custody to get them to makedecisions about their everyday lives. In theory, young people do notlose their citizenship when they are in custody, but in practice, theircitizenship is taken away."
Chief executive of charity 4Children Anne Longfield said the scheme doeshave the potential to cut reoffending rates.
"Involving young people in decisions about their day-to-day life incustody is a crucial step in helping them gain the life skills,motivation and confidence they will need in the outside world," shesaid. "Putting them in the driving seat has the potential to improve thequality of their experience of custody, which may also mean a reductionin reoffending in the long term."
In addition, the Howard League is planning to set up a website, whichwill include audio and video material featuring young people incustody.
