Children and Young People’s Group
YOUTH CRIME REVIEW
(IT'S A CRIMINAL WASTE: STOP YOUTH CRIME NOW)
In November 1999 the Scottish Cabinet held a strategy session that focussed on issues relating to youth crime in Scotland. As a result of the Cabinet's considerations a Review of Youth Crime was commissioned. An Advisory Group was established under the chairmanship of Mrs Gillian Stewart, Head of the Children and Young People's Group in Scottish Executive Education Department, and started work in December 1999. Its priority task was to consider scope for improving the range and availability of options aimed at addressing the actions of persistent young offenders - that is those children and young people whose offending behaviour is more than occasional or transitory - within the Children's Hearings System and the Courts.
An Advisory Group that met 4 times between December and March oversaw the work of the Review. Two focus groups were held, one with young people aged between 15 and 24 and one with children's reporters. In addition, a NCH/CoSLA sponsored Think Tank met twice during the period and contributed significantly to the work of the Review.
Responses were invited from a wide range of individuals and agencies involved in the Hearings system and young people. Nearly 300 written responses were submitted - from panel members, local authorities, residential establishments, voluntary agencies and organisations, police officers, procurators fiscal, sheriffs and members of the Scottish Prison Service. Many young people responded, some of who had had experience of coping with the consequences of offending.
All the responses - except those withheld at the author's request or for reasons of confidentiality - are available for public view at the Scottish Executive Library at Saughton House, Edinburgh. The personal identities of the young people who contributed has been withheld but their submissions are otherwise complete.
The aim of the first consultative phase was to:
- Capture information about what options exist and what works at present
- Identify areas where effective options could be increased
- Seek views about changes which would improve delivery of service and outcome
Those who responded to the consultation made many constructive suggestions and several important areas for change were identified. A report of the work of the Review, "It's a Criminal Waste: Stop Youth Crime Now", and the Scottish Executive's response were published on 9 June. Details of these reports may be found at the Scottish Executive website on this web site .
Copies of both documents are available at a cost of £5 each from the Stationery Office Bookshop, 71 Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH3 9AG (Tel: 0870 606 5566). You should quote ISBN numbers 0-7480-9398-2 (Report) and 0-7480-9399-0 (Scottish Executive Response).
The Scottish Executive believed that there was sufficient evidence and support for the Advisory Group's recommendations to start on the expansion of the programmes envisaged and the local infrastructure to support and direct that activity. However, before developing the national strategy and framework, the Scottish Executive invited views on what it should cover. Comments were also invited on the recommendation that the name of the children's hearings system be changed. Just under a hundred responses were received and have informed the drafting of the National Strategy and Framework, which will be circulated for consultation in early 2001.
For further information contact
Eileen Flanagan
Scottish Executive Education Department
Area 2-B (S)
Victoria Quay
EDINBURGH
EH6 6QQ
or emailed to eileen.flanagan@scotland.gsi.gov.uk .
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