Home Secretary David Blunkett has announced a major expansion in support programmes for young people at risk of offending as part of his department's five-year plan.
On Monday he said the Youth Inclusion Programme, the crime-reduction scheme established by the Youth Justice Board in 2000, would be extended from 72 to around 100 areas.
The programme targets 13- to 16-year-olds who are engaged in crime or at risk of offending, truancy or social exclusion. There will also be a 50 per cent boost in the number of Youth Inclusion & Support Panels, which put at-risk eight- to 13-year-olds in touch with support services.
The Youth Justice Board has also been tasked with setting up a national juvenile resettlement steering group under the National Action Plan on Reducing Re-offending, published this week.
www.homeoffice.gov.uk.
