Earlier this week Baroness Scotland told delegates at a conference on Reducing custody for young people who offend, organised by crime-reduction charity Nacro: What we are trying very hard to do now is get the two agendas to work together. Many of those that come before the courts for antisocial behaviour issues are not first-time offenders, they are very well known to the Youth Justice Board.
Some delegates felt the Governments hard line on antisocial behaviour is at odds with its aim of reducing the number of young people in custody. John Fassenfelt, chair of the Youth Courts Committee of the Magistrates Association, said: Magistrates are influenced by what the Government says. We sometimes find that the Government is not talking with a consistent voice, particularly in the area of antisocial behaviour.
Chris Stanley, the head of youth crime at Nacro, said another obstacle to reducing custody numbers is the demonisation of young people in some parts of the media. But Baroness Scotland said this can be overcome by improving the information that is given to the public. She said Inside Justice Week, which is taking place this week, is an example of one initiative that makes the public more aware of how the criminal justice system operates.
Rod Morgan, chair of the Youth Justice Board, backed her comments: The public is not wedded to a particular philosophy of punishment, he said. The more sophisticated the scenarios you put to the public, the more complex the answers. They are not committed to locking up huge numbers of young people; what they want is a reduction in offending.
