Q&A: Youth justice system

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The Youth Justice Board said 3,350 youngsters were in custodyThe head of the Youth Justice Board has resigned, saying that young offender institutions were being "swamped".

Rod Morgan had previously warned of a crisis as the number of young people under 18 in custody in England and Wales reached a record high.

What is the Youth Justice Board?

The Youth Justice Board is an executive non-departmental public body that oversees the youth justice system in England and Wales. Its responsibilities include placing juveniles in secure custodial accommodation.

When will a young person be held in custody?

Young people convicted of a criminal offence will be sentenced to custody if no alternative is thought appropriate because of the serious nature of the offence or history of the defendant. Young people can also be remanded in custody by a magistrates' court ahead of a trial once they are charged with an offence. In recent years, a number have been sentenced for breaches of anti-social behaviour orders.

Where will a young person be held?

Young people can be held at young offender institutions, secure training centres or secure children's homes.

Young offender institutions accommodate 15 to 21-year-olds on individual sites run by the Prison Service. Those under 18 are held in separate wings.

Secure training centres are purpose-built centres run by private operators under contracts. There are four STCs, all located in England: Oakhill in Milton Keynes; Hassockfield in County Durham; Rainsbrook in Rugby, and Medway in Kent.

They provide a secure environment where young people can be formally educated and rehabilitated. Differences from young offender institutions include the smaller size and a higher staff to offender ratio.

Secure children's homes range in size from six to 40 beds. They are run by local authority social services departments, overseen by the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills.

They are mainly designed for the accommodation of young offenders aged 12 to 14, girls up to the age of 16, and boys aged 15 to 16-year-old who are assessed as vulnerable.

The Youth Justice Board works towards a target that most individuals will be placed within 50 miles of their home addresses.

What custodial sentences can young people face?

Young people face either detention and training orders or custody.

The length of a detention and training order ranges between four months and two years. The first half of the sentence is spent in custody and the remainder in the community under supervision.

Young people found guilty of serious offences may be sentenced by a crown court under Section 90 or 91 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act (2000) to a period of custody.

Section 90 deals with murder and Section 91 deals with crimes including rape and robbery. The length of the sentence can be up to the adult maximum for the same offence.

If offenders are sentenced to less then four years, they will leave custody at the halfway point of their sentence under supervision.

Who decides where young people are held?

The YJB's placement team, based at its London headquarters, decides on the most appropriate sites to house under-18s.

The placement team consults youth offending teams based in every local authority in England and Wales when making its decision.

YOTs, which include representatives from the police, probation service, social services, health and education officials, are also involved in the supervision of young offenders on their release.

How many young people are being held in custody?

According to a Youth Justice Board assessment, about 3,350 youngsters are now in custody. The figure, which fluctuates daily, includes a small number who were sentenced as juveniles but have recently turned 18.

YJB figures tracking the number of under 18s held in custody are published every month.

Information for September showed 3,036 individuals were in the system. The figures comprised 2,815 boys and 212 girls. Some 2,537 were being held in young offenders' institutions, 269 in secure training centres and 230 in secure children's homes.

Of the total, 654 individuals were on remand.

What are some of the alternatives to custody?

Supervision, community punishment or rehabilitation orders are among the alternatives to custody.

Conditions can be placed on offenders subject to such orders including tagging and drug treatment. Programmes designed specifically for more serious crimes and prolific offenders are funded and supported by the Youth Justice Board.

The Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme consists of up to 25 hours of supervision per week. It can be part of a supervision order, the community part of a custodial sentence or a bail condition.

Based on a US initiative, intensive fostering is currently being piloted in 10 areas of London and Hampshire and Staffordshire.

It is for those whose home life is felt to have contributed significantly to their behaviour, and provides care for up to 12 months and support for their family.