LONDON: Parents will face tougher fines if their children commit crimes or engage in anti-social behavior under new youth reforms unveiled by the British government on Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lamy has launched a new Youth Justice White Paper, setting out a blueprint for earlier intervention and more targeted support to tackle the root causes of youth crime.
His announcement comes as figures show that eight in 10 prolific offenders in the UK first offended as children, while two-thirds of those released from prison re-offend within a year.
“Too many young people are involved in crime, with devastating consequences for victims, communities and their own futures,” Lammy said.
He said: “These reforms lay the foundation for earlier intervention, supporting families and tackling the drivers of crime, resulting in fewer young people getting caught up in the crime cycle, creating safer streets and fewer victims.”
New measures announced this week include the trial of new Youth Intervention Courts, which will bring together judges, youth justice services and specialist support for the first time to tackle the drivers of crime and get young people on the right track. The courts will also provide intensive supervision and tailored interventions, including health or education requirements, while closely monitoring compliance to break the cycle of repeat offending.
The Ministry of Justice said: “Recognizing the important role families play in reducing re-offending, parents and carers will also take greater responsibility for children who commit crimes or cause anti-social behaviour.”
“The government will strengthen and expand parenting orders, which can force parents or guardians to address their children’s behavior, including attending counseling or guidance courses, or face penalties such as fines,” the statement said.
Although very young offenders are generally not subject to severe legal proceedings, parenting orders are used as a means of encouraging positive family intervention. The scope of such orders has grown as data shows more than a third of children sentenced to such community orders in the country re-offend.
Under this week’s reforms, ministers will also explore strengthening youth rehabilitation orders, increasing supervision and surveillance, allowing electronic monitoring to track their movements, and developing robust rehabilitation activities to ensure public safety. However, the government says detention is always vital for the most dangerous offenders.
Sentencing and Youth Justice Secretary Jack Richards said: “Put simply, the youth justice system is not working and is not working for children, victims and communities affected by crime. These reforms will modernize the system, keep pace with emerging risks and ensure young offenders get the support they need to turn their lives around, while improving public safety.”
The reforms build on recent action to tackle the worst problems affecting young people, such as knife crime and violence against women and girls. Every child in England and Wales caught with a knife will now receive a mandatory, dedicated program to stop them re-offending, as part of the Government’s drive to halve knife crime within a decade.
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