Communities in Yorkshire and Humberside affected by crime are to get a say in how young people who offend are punished.
Making Good gives local people the chance to have their say on how young people should be held to account for their crimes and helps offenders understand the impact their actions have had on the community.
The first-of-its-kind scheme, developed by the YJB, is being launched in Yorkshire and Humberside today as part of a national roll out.
Making Good calls on the public to suggest reparation work they would like to see carried out in their area by visiting the Making Good pages of the YJB website. Suggestions will be welcome until June 18 2010.
Justice Minister Maria Eagle said:
“Making Good is giving more and more people their say in how young offenders are punished locally as the scheme rolls out across the country.
“The Government is committed to ensuring young people are not only forced to make amends for their crimes, but also that the community has a say in how that happens.
“The scheme forms a key part of the Government’s new stronger youth sentencing system aimed at making our communities safer and helping put young people back on the right track. We are making good progress with fewer young people entering the criminal justice system in the first place. I am pleased local communities in Yorkshire and Humberside will now have the opportunity to help build on this success.”
Chair of the YJB Frances Done said:
“For the first time local people are able to have their say on how young people who have offended can repair some of the damage caused to the community by their offence.
“We encourage the Yorkshire and Humberside community to visit the Making Good website and look forward to receiving their ideas.
”This is your opportunity to get young people to invest their time and energy into worthwhile projects that benefit the community.”
A wide variety of reparation work is already being undertaken in the Yorkshire and Humberside region.
All reparation work is unpaid and is overseen by the youth offending team. Ideas for work might range from clearing public spaces to decorating community centres or helping with local charitable groups.
Public suggestions will be considered and implemented where practically possible by 14 youth offending teams across Yorkshire and Humberside, including in Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Doncaster, East Riding of Yorkshire, Hull, Kirklees, Leeds, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, Rotherham, Sheffield and Wakefield.
To make a suggestion visit http://www.yjb.gov.uk/en-gb/yjs/MakingGood.
Notes to editors
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The Making Good scheme is being rolled out across England and Wales between spring and early autumn 2010.
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Residents in Yorkshire & Humberside who want to suggest reparation activities to be carried out in their areas should visit the Making Good pages of the Youth Justice Board website from Thursday March 18, where they will find instructions on how to offer ideas.
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Public suggestions will need to comply with a through risk assessment. Suggestions should comply with the basic premise that reparation work must: Be meaningful and beneficial to the local community and to young offenders; not take paid work away from others; not make a profit for anyone.
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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 Secretaries of State for Justice and for Children, Schools and Families 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.
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