Gove orders review of youth justice system

Charlie Taylor, who was previously appointed by Gove to examine discipline in the classroom when he was Education Secretary, has been asked to assess whether existing youth justice arrangements are fit for purpose.

As part of the review he will look at current practice in preventing youth crime and rehabilitating young offenders, as well as exploring how the youth justice system can most effectively interact with wider services for children and young people.

The review will not consider the age of criminal responsibility, the way young people are dealt with in the criminal courts or the youth sentencing framework.

“In recent years we have seen a significant and welcome reduction in the number of young people entering the youth justice system,” a written statement to parliament by Gove said.

“However, little progress has been made in reducing reoffending, with 67 per cent of young people leaving custody reoffending within a year.

“The time is right to examine our approach to tackling youth offending.

“We need to consider whether the current system, which was created in 2000, remains able to meet the challenges we face in 2015.

“It is vital that we seize the opportunity to rehabilitate young people who have offended, to steer them away from a life of crime, and to set them on a more positive course that will benefit both them and society.”

Gove said Taylor’s previous experience working with children with severe behavioural difficulties give him a “real understanding of the wider challenges in preventing youth offending”.

“I am confident he will bring a fresh perspective and energy to the task,” he added.