This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/mar/01/young-offenders-england-wales-criminal-justice-reform-liz-truss

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
How Eminem is helping young offenders break the cycle of crime How Eminem's music is helping young offenders break the cycle of crime
(about 4 hours later)
The Youth Justice Board (YJB), which has overseen the criminal justice system for children and young people under 18 in England and Wales for almost two decades, was last week stripped of its responsibilities for locking up young offenders. The move, announced by the justice secretary, Liz Truss, follows a review into youth custody after more than 300 deaths across the country since 1990 and an abuse scandal at a secure training centre. A new youth custody service will run children’s prisons while the scaled-back YJB will focus on scrutiny, promoting early intervention in the community and sharing best practice, said Truss.The Youth Justice Board (YJB), which has overseen the criminal justice system for children and young people under 18 in England and Wales for almost two decades, was last week stripped of its responsibilities for locking up young offenders. The move, announced by the justice secretary, Liz Truss, follows a review into youth custody after more than 300 deaths across the country since 1990 and an abuse scandal at a secure training centre. A new youth custody service will run children’s prisons while the scaled-back YJB will focus on scrutiny, promoting early intervention in the community and sharing best practice, said Truss.
In this new advisory role, one of the first schemes the YJB hopes to persuade the Ministry of Justice to roll out has been quietly addressing the causes of offending behaviour among young people in a corner of south Wales. Such is its success that Lord McNally, YJB’s chairman, says: “It’s the kind of innovative practice I want to see embedded longer-term, across England and Wales.”In this new advisory role, one of the first schemes the YJB hopes to persuade the Ministry of Justice to roll out has been quietly addressing the causes of offending behaviour among young people in a corner of south Wales. Such is its success that Lord McNally, YJB’s chairman, says: “It’s the kind of innovative practice I want to see embedded longer-term, across England and Wales.”
Mary was 15 when she was first assigned to “enhanced case management” by Carmarthenshire youth offending team (YOT). Whereas conventional YOTs look only at a child’s situation when they get into trouble with the law (and the most troubled youngsters may have seen up to 50 different professionals in their short lives), the enhanced case management approach aims to build trust with a single YOT worker.Mary was 15 when she was first assigned to “enhanced case management” by Carmarthenshire youth offending team (YOT). Whereas conventional YOTs look only at a child’s situation when they get into trouble with the law (and the most troubled youngsters may have seen up to 50 different professionals in their short lives), the enhanced case management approach aims to build trust with a single YOT worker.
The programme begins with a meeting led by a senior clinical psychologist that creates a timeline of key events in the child’s life. This often reveals patterns of offending and links to life events that prompt hypotheses about the reasons for their behaviour. Armed with this background information, the YOT worker starts to develop a one-to-one relationship with the young person. For Mary (not her real name), this meant that her case manager, Louisa Jones, tried to find out more about the angry, explosive girl she had met a year earlier after her first conviction for assault.The programme begins with a meeting led by a senior clinical psychologist that creates a timeline of key events in the child’s life. This often reveals patterns of offending and links to life events that prompt hypotheses about the reasons for their behaviour. Armed with this background information, the YOT worker starts to develop a one-to-one relationship with the young person. For Mary (not her real name), this meant that her case manager, Louisa Jones, tried to find out more about the angry, explosive girl she had met a year earlier after her first conviction for assault.
“Louisa found out what I liked. She’d let me do makeup and we listened to Eminem,” Mary recalls. “It helped chill me out so I wouldn’t get so angry. Eminem lost his little brother to social services when he was young. I lost my sister to social services. He talks about how sorry he is for how he treated his mum and I treated my mum badly, too. So I understood his words. I taught Louisa about Eminem’s life.”“Louisa found out what I liked. She’d let me do makeup and we listened to Eminem,” Mary recalls. “It helped chill me out so I wouldn’t get so angry. Eminem lost his little brother to social services when he was young. I lost my sister to social services. He talks about how sorry he is for how he treated his mum and I treated my mum badly, too. So I understood his words. I taught Louisa about Eminem’s life.”
In the process, Mary disclosed much about herself, says Jones, and created natural openings for her to discuss feelings and empathy. And they made a large pink A3 collage together. There’s a picture of Eminem, and some makeup, and a quote from the rapper: “Don’t ever try to judge me, you don’t know what I’ve been through”. “That’s my life,” says Mary, “you don’t know what happened before I lashed out.”In the process, Mary disclosed much about herself, says Jones, and created natural openings for her to discuss feelings and empathy. And they made a large pink A3 collage together. There’s a picture of Eminem, and some makeup, and a quote from the rapper: “Don’t ever try to judge me, you don’t know what I’ve been through”. “That’s my life,” says Mary, “you don’t know what happened before I lashed out.”
Enhanced case management grew out of work that YJB Cymru and Hillside, Wales’s only secure children’s home, were doing separately. Following a steep reduction in the number of children in custody in Wales, from 157 to 37 between 2008 and 2016 (a trend also reflected in England), the director of YJB Cymru, Dusty Kennedy, explains “we were left with the thicker soup” – the most challenging young people – with whom he says they were making little or no headway.Enhanced case management grew out of work that YJB Cymru and Hillside, Wales’s only secure children’s home, were doing separately. Following a steep reduction in the number of children in custody in Wales, from 157 to 37 between 2008 and 2016 (a trend also reflected in England), the director of YJB Cymru, Dusty Kennedy, explains “we were left with the thicker soup” – the most challenging young people – with whom he says they were making little or no headway.
“It was time to dig a little deeper,” says Kennedy. In 2012, YJB Cymru undertook a study producing detailed profiles of 100 youngsters who had committed 25 or more offences. It revealed shocking levels of traumatic experience and distress. Most of these young people (predominantly boys) were aged 16 or 17: 84% had no qualifications, 41% had been on the child protection register, nearly half had witnessed domestic violence and getting on for two-thirds had suffered childhood trauma or neglect. At Hillside, where the deputy manager and clinical psychologist found that conventional approaches were not working with their “very disturbed” young people, they came up with a trauma recovery model.“It was time to dig a little deeper,” says Kennedy. In 2012, YJB Cymru undertook a study producing detailed profiles of 100 youngsters who had committed 25 or more offences. It revealed shocking levels of traumatic experience and distress. Most of these young people (predominantly boys) were aged 16 or 17: 84% had no qualifications, 41% had been on the child protection register, nearly half had witnessed domestic violence and getting on for two-thirds had suffered childhood trauma or neglect. At Hillside, where the deputy manager and clinical psychologist found that conventional approaches were not working with their “very disturbed” young people, they came up with a trauma recovery model.
Lynzi Jarman, YJB Cymru head of effective practice and innovation, says: “It took a year to work out how best to take the trauma recovery model from the closed environment of Hillside for use in the community.” In November 2014, the enhanced case management programme was launched with the most complex cases in three YOTs in south Wales.Lynzi Jarman, YJB Cymru head of effective practice and innovation, says: “It took a year to work out how best to take the trauma recovery model from the closed environment of Hillside for use in the community.” In November 2014, the enhanced case management programme was launched with the most complex cases in three YOTs in south Wales.
Once trust and disclosure are achieved, appropriate help can be designed for the young offenders. Some may need specialist support such as psychiatric services, but in most cases what’s needed can be delivered by the YOT workers themselves with appropriate clinical supervision. Such support is essential according to senior YOT practitioner James Perdue. He says that one of his young people seriously self-harms. “At one admission [to hospital], they asked for me instead of their parents,” he says. “So I had to see this young person I had got to know quite well lying there with ligature marks around their neck. I really valued the clinical support after that.”Once trust and disclosure are achieved, appropriate help can be designed for the young offenders. Some may need specialist support such as psychiatric services, but in most cases what’s needed can be delivered by the YOT workers themselves with appropriate clinical supervision. Such support is essential according to senior YOT practitioner James Perdue. He says that one of his young people seriously self-harms. “At one admission [to hospital], they asked for me instead of their parents,” he says. “So I had to see this young person I had got to know quite well lying there with ligature marks around their neck. I really valued the clinical support after that.”
Jones finds the enhanced case management approach a much more natural way to work, a view echoed by other practitioners. “We’re not doing things to them, we’re doing things with them,” says Perdue, “and that is much more effective”.Jones finds the enhanced case management approach a much more natural way to work, a view echoed by other practitioners. “We’re not doing things to them, we’re doing things with them,” says Perdue, “and that is much more effective”.
Another of his young men, who arrived aged 14 having accrued eight convictions in a year (including violence), stayed out of trouble for 16 months. He was then convicted of possession of 0.3g of cannabis. “In binary terms he reoffended,” says Perdue, “but in terms of harm, it’s completely changed. He’s a shining example.”Another of his young men, who arrived aged 14 having accrued eight convictions in a year (including violence), stayed out of trouble for 16 months. He was then convicted of possession of 0.3g of cannabis. “In binary terms he reoffended,” says Perdue, “but in terms of harm, it’s completely changed. He’s a shining example.”
The formal evaluation of a trial of the enhanced case management over the first two years is not yet published, but nearly half the young people going through it have not reoffended – and for those who have, more than half have done so less frequently or in less harmful and violent ways. Given that the usual pattern for these children would be an escalation of offending, everyone agrees these are dramatically successful results.The formal evaluation of a trial of the enhanced case management over the first two years is not yet published, but nearly half the young people going through it have not reoffended – and for those who have, more than half have done so less frequently or in less harmful and violent ways. Given that the usual pattern for these children would be an escalation of offending, everyone agrees these are dramatically successful results.
As a result of its success, the approach is about to be rolled out across the whole of south Wales. Funding has just been secured from the Welsh government, Public Health Wales and the local police and crime commissioner. The entire staff of Wales’s only young offender institution are also being trained in the approach. And YJB Cymru is talking to the National Offender Management Service about expanding it across south west England and continuing this style of work with young people who have been on the programme and turned 18. Kennedy is also fielding numerous inquiries about the programme from other parts of the UK and beyond.As a result of its success, the approach is about to be rolled out across the whole of south Wales. Funding has just been secured from the Welsh government, Public Health Wales and the local police and crime commissioner. The entire staff of Wales’s only young offender institution are also being trained in the approach. And YJB Cymru is talking to the National Offender Management Service about expanding it across south west England and continuing this style of work with young people who have been on the programme and turned 18. Kennedy is also fielding numerous inquiries about the programme from other parts of the UK and beyond.
McNally says: “The kind of ‘wraparound’ care children on the enhanced case management trial receive has delivered some very encouraging results and the YJB is already progressing plans to see it rolled out.”McNally says: “The kind of ‘wraparound’ care children on the enhanced case management trial receive has delivered some very encouraging results and the YJB is already progressing plans to see it rolled out.”
Responding to the announced shake-up of youth justice, he said the YJB has always aspired to “a therapeutic approach towards addressing a child’s offending behaviour, so they are given every opportunity to go on to live fulfilled and crime-free lives.”Responding to the announced shake-up of youth justice, he said the YJB has always aspired to “a therapeutic approach towards addressing a child’s offending behaviour, so they are given every opportunity to go on to live fulfilled and crime-free lives.”
McNally steps down as chair of the YJB later this month. His successor, Charlie Taylor, a former headteacher and child behavioural expert who conducted a review into the youth justice system in 2015, has made it clear that focusing on young offenders’ “welfare, health and education” is key to transforming them into “successful and law-abiding adults”.McNally steps down as chair of the YJB later this month. His successor, Charlie Taylor, a former headteacher and child behavioural expert who conducted a review into the youth justice system in 2015, has made it clear that focusing on young offenders’ “welfare, health and education” is key to transforming them into “successful and law-abiding adults”.
Mary, now 17, hasn’t been in trouble for two years. Despite having had a very difficult year, with two of the people closest to her dying, she didn’t lash out. “I coped ... Louisa taught me that,” she says proudly. “I’m proper sorted out now.”Mary, now 17, hasn’t been in trouble for two years. Despite having had a very difficult year, with two of the people closest to her dying, she didn’t lash out. “I coped ... Louisa taught me that,” she says proudly. “I’m proper sorted out now.”