Early intervention and tougher action against parents to tackle youth crime

Earlier intervention and tougher action against parents are among measures being announced by the government to tackle crime by young people in England and Wales.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said support for families and addressing the drivers of offending would mean "fewer young people become trapped in cycles of crime".

However, the Alliance for Youth Justice, which represents more than 70 organisations, said the plans relied "too heavily on pilots, consultations and reviews", rather than "bold, ambitious action".

The proposals are set out in a Youth Justice White Paper, which is being published by the government on Monday.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said new Youth Intervention Courts would be piloted, bringing together judges, youth justice services and specialist support to help tackle the root causes of offending.

It said the courts would also provide intensive supervision and tailored interventions, including health or educational requirements, alongside close monitoring of compliance.

The government pointed to figures showing eight in 10 prolific offenders in England and Wales committed their first crime as a child, while two-thirds of those released from custody reoffend within a year.

Meanwhile, the government plans to strengthen and expand Parenting Orders, which can compel parents or guardians to address their child's behaviour, including attending counselling or guidance sessions, or face penalties such as fines.

Courts are currently required to consider issuing a Parenting Order where a child under 16 has been convicted of an offence.

They can also consider an order for 16 and 17-year-olds if they believe this would help prevent further offences.

However, the MoJ said the use of Parenting Orders had declined dramatically, from more than 1,000 in 2009/10 to just 33 in 2022/23.

There is also a focus on reducing the use of custodial sentences in favour of community sentences.

The plan commits to ending "unnecessary" custodial remand for children, where someone is held in prison while they await trial of sentencing.

The government is promising to reduce the practice by 25% before the next election to ensure children are not held unless public protection requires it.

It said these measures could reduce the youth population in custody by 20%.

Ministers will also explore strengthening Youth Rehabilitation Orders - community sentences given to children, which can include unpaid work, curfews, or a requirement to undertake treatment.

The government said intensive supervision, allowing electronic monitoring to track a child's whereabouts, could be used to keep the public safe.

However, it stressed custody "will always remain essential for the most dangerous offenders".

The government will also consult on reforming childhood criminal records, potentially ending lifelong disclosure requirements for childhood offences.

Offences can be disclosed during criminal record checks, which can affect job opportunities.

Campaigners argue this means people can be held back by mistakes they made as a child.

Other measures include an extra £15.4m a year for the government's early intervention Turnaround programme.

The government said the funding would help 12,000 children at risk of entering the youth justice system over the next three years.

It will also deliver on a commitment to create a new child criminal exploitation offence, targeting adults who draw children into offending.

Lammy, who is also justice secretary, said: "Too many young people are being drawn into crime, with devastating consequences for victims, communities and their own futures.

"These reforms lay the foundation to intervene far earlier, support families, and tackle the drivers of offending so fewer young people become trapped in cycles of crime, creating safer streets and fewer victims."

The Alliance for Youth Justice welcomed the government's recognition "that the youth justice system is not working".

A spokeswoman added: "Steps toward reducing custody numbers, diverting more children from the formal justice system as early as possible, reforming the criminal records system and a willingness to look at the age of criminal responsibility are all positive but the government must move from 'considering' change to committing to it.

"To keep children and communities safe, and fix a secure estate in deep crisis, we need legislated limits on custody, binding targets to eliminate racial disparities, and an urgent shift away from failing institutions toward welfare-focused alternatives."

Conservative shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy said: "Whatever Labour say today they have already shown they don't have it in their DNA to be tough on crime.

"They've let thousands of prisoners early and abolished short term sentences - so most perpetrators of knife crime who have been sent to prison in the past few years will escape a custodial sentence in future."