Reducing Youth Re-offending How do we build on the existing approach to help a more challenging cohort to stop offending? Lin Hinnigan Chief Executive Youth Justice Board for England and Wales 2 April 2014

Number of juvenile First-Time Entrants (FTE) Number of First Time Entrants (FTEs) to the youth justice system 2002/03 to 2012/13

Possible explanations for reduction in FTEs Population decline End of the OBTJ target Young people committing less crime Changes to youth justice practices Prevention

Number of juveniles in custody Number of young people in custody 2002/03 to 2012/13

Possible explanations for reduction in custody numbers Reduction in first-time entrants Raising Local Authority awareness Improved YOT performance Changes in sentencing

Proportion of young people who re-offend

Evidence of a changing cohort Since 2000 the reoffending cohort… Is 49% smaller Is more prolific - the proportion of young people having one or more offence has increased Is getting older – the proportion of yrs offenders in the reoffending cohort has decreased but for yrs it has increased Is committing more serious offences – the proportion having a First Tier Penalty has increased, whilst the proportion having a reprimand or warning has decreased

Evidence of a challenging cohort 31% of young people in YJS identified as having mental health needs 29% of young people in YJS have literacy and numeracy problems 60% of young people in YJS have speech, language and communication needs 25%-50% of young people held in YOIs are, or have been, looked after children

What next? Identifying young people who account for a larger proportion of reoffending and targeting resource to reduce prolific reoffending Improving resettlement outcomes to ensure those leaving custody have access to education and employment Multi-agency partnerships beyond Youth Justice to build on early intervention work