Girls who have committed crimes are being helped to turn their lives around thanks to a specially targeted programme in Hertfordshire.
The tailor-made programme tackles issues such as alcohol use, relationship conflict and peer pressure, which are often at the root of offending by young women.
The chair of the YJB Frances Done paid a visit to Hatfield yesterday to see the positive work going on there.
Frances met with staff from East Hertfordshire Youth Offending Team (YOT), which runs the programme, and took part in group activities with some of the young women. The session featured a series of workshops which gave the young women the chance to take part in discussions and role-plays.
The eight-week programme is a county-wide provision made available to girls who are serving robust community sentences passed by the court and takes place at the YOT base in Hatfield. It gives the young women a chance to engage with YOT workers and address the problems which led to them committing crimes.
Dr Jeanette Williams, Youth Justice Policy and Development Manager for the YOT, said the programme was one of few in England and Wales designed specifically for girls and young women:
“The programme is one of few tailored specifically to the needs of young female offenders and it has proved really good at engaging with them.
“We cover alcohol awareness, relationships, and also peer pressure and group offending. We tackle the issues that are relevant to their lives and their offending behaviour.
“The results have been really positive and the girls say they enjoy it because we have actually tailored the sessions to their needs rather than just adapting a boy’s programme.
“We try to promote positive aspirations and choices - to get them thinking about steps they need to take to get into college or whatever it may be they want to do next.”
Frances said:
“The programme run by East Hertfordshire Youth Offending Team is a fantastic example of how targeted programmes for young people can really work.
“Many of the young women who attend this programme will come from complex backgrounds which have contributed to their offending behaviour.
“Getting young women like these the support and help they need to address their issues is vital if they are going to go on to lead crime free lives in the future.”
Hertfordshire County Council’s executive member for cildren’s services Jane Pitman said:
“These specially targeted programmes introduced by our youth offending teams are helping to get young people back on track.
“We encourage girls in the programme to not only think about the consequences of their actions, but to look at their hopes for the future and take steps to help them achieve their ambitions.”
