Report of Advisory Group on Youth Crime

SECTION 2: RECOMMENDATIONS

What are our key recommendations?

7. These come in 3 parts:

For early implementation

• expansion of the range and availability of effective, quality assessed, community-based interventions and programmes for persistent young offenders which can be used by Reporters and the Hearings
• access to the new range of interventions and programmes by procurators fiscal and the courts for persistent young offenders up to age 18
• a renaming of the Children's Hearings system: one option would be simply to drop the reference to children
• expansion of bail information and supervision schemes to all 16/17 year olds
• expansion of diversion schemes to all 16/17 year olds
• a detailed examination of the feasibility of a bridging pilot scheme which would refer as many 16/17 year olds as possible to the Hearings system
• a national strategy based on our core objectives which delivers a consistent framework for local activity and addresses training needs
• arrangements at local level to co-ordinate action on a multi-agency basis to address the needs and deeds of young offenders
• a national resource to disseminate best practice, commission relevant research and accredit programmes or interventions for tackling persistent offending by children and young people.

For medium to longer-term implementation

• review the case for raising the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years
• develop the range of tailored community based disposals for under 18s coming before the courts in order to avoid custody
• review the use of the fine as a penalty for young offenders to reduce the level of custody for fine default
• in the light of any bridging pilots, consider the case for rolling out these arrangements across Scotland.