Youth Inclusion Programme reaches 25,000 young lives

The Youth Justice Board (YJB) published on November 10, 2008 the second independent evaluation of a programme that aims to prevent crime and make communities safer. The evaluation was undertaken by Morgan Harris Burrows.

The report indicates that over 25,000 children and young people in danger of falling into crime and anti-social behaviour have been reached by the Youth Inclusion Programmes (YIPs). There are now 120 YIPs across England and Wales, based in some of the most deprived and high-crime areas. YIPs work with eight to 17-year-olds who are carefully targeted according to their risk of involvement in offending or anti-social behaviour. This targeting is based on many factors, such as exclusion from school, and involves many different agencies working together including youth offending teams, police, schools and social services.

The development of YIP and other YJB-funded prevention initiatives such as parenting programmes and safer school partnerships have helped to bring local agencies together to achieve a sharper focus on youth crime prevention. The YJB has exceeded its five per cent target to reduce the number of first-time entrants to the youth justice system, which means that ten per cent fewer young people have become involved with crime since 2005/06.

Data released by the Government also confirms that action on youth crime is working with 10,000 fewer first-time entrants to the criminal justice system last year. The Youth Crime Action Plan, being taken forward by Government, brings an opportunity to build on this success.

The full report can be found at http://www.yjb.gov.uk/en-gb/ News/younglivesreached through theYouthInclusion Programme.htm