Youth Crime: Key measures

More youth centres will be provided for youngsters to get them off the streets

Support for problem families, getting young people off the streets at night and more help for young offenders returning to their communities are at the heart of a new Youth Crime Action Plan for England and Wales.

The key measures in the 75-page document are:

• An expansion of Family Intervention Projects to 20,000 families. In all, 110,000 families with children at risk of future high-rate offending will be reached through additional support
• An increase in the proportion of Asbos accompanied by a parenting order
• Permanent exclusion from school to become an automatic trigger to a comprehensive assessment of needs
• Better targeting of universal services, such as Sure Start, at families that need them most
• An expansion of provision of youth centres and other activities at times when young people are likely to offend, including Friday and Saturday nights.

• Giving communities the opportunity to say what type of reparation work they want young people on community sentences to undertake, and requiring them to undertake this work on Friday and Saturday nights
• New ways to support young victims and improve support to witnesses when they attend court
• Provision of better information on dangers and risks for young people and parents.

• Greater use of existing police enforcement tactics, including measures to tackle anti-social behaviour and underage drinking
• Street-based teams of youth workers and ex-gang members to tackle groups of young people involved in crime and disorder
• Use of safeguarding legislation to remove at-risk children and young people from the streets late at night (Operation Staysafe).

• Introduction of a new duty on local authorities to fund and commission education of young offenders in custody
• Development of a more comprehensive package of support for young people leaving custody
• Promotion of alternatives to custody including continuing the pilots of intensive fostering
• Work with employers on how to improve the employability of young people with criminal records.

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