Figures collected by the YJB from Kirklees Youth Offending Service (YOS) show that from April 2008 to March 2009, just 74 out of 989 young people who appeared before courts were handed a custodial sentence.
This is a reduction when compared to the same period in 2006 to 2007, during which 107 out of 1,294, young people appearing in court were sent to prison. The young people who were not sentenced to custody received a demanding community sentence, often with electronic monitoring, instead.
Frances said:
”I would like to congratulate Kirklees Youth Offending Service on successfully reducing the number of children and young people who are sentenced to time in custody. This is a good example of a good partnership between the Youth Offending Service and courts can really make a difference at a local level.
“The YJB believes that while it is vital that young people who commit offences should be punished for their actions, custody should only be used as a last resort, for the most serious of crimes.
“Events such as this annual court conference are invaluable as they bring together sentencers with YOS staff. This not only leads to better understanding between the services but also ensures that magistrates are aware of the many robust non-custodial options available to them when sentencing young people.”
The conference has been running for around six years and is jointly organised by the courts and Kirklees YOS.
Friday’s event, held at Dewsbury Magistrates’ Court, also featured an address by District Judge Marie Mallon.
David Kay, performance and development manager for Kirklees YOS said:
“This annual event has been running for around six years now and is extremely useful in terms of sharing information and improving working practices between the courts and the youth offending service.”
Notes to editors
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The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB) oversees the youth justice system in England and Wales. We work to prevent offending and reoffending by children and young people under the age of 18, and to ensure that custody for them is safe, secure, and addresses the causes of their offending behaviour.
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Specifically, we advise the Secretary of State for Justice on the operation of, and standards for, the youth justice system; monitor the performance of the youth justice system; purchase places for, and place, children and young people remanded or sentenced to custody; identify and promote effective practice; make grants to local authorities or other bodies to support the development of effective practice; commission research and publish information.
