£3m pilot scheme aims to reduce youth reoffending in east London
Fiona Simpson
Friday, March 12, 2021
Young adults supervised by the probation service will receive specialist drug and mental health support at a new £3 million centre in east London to reduce reoffending.
The hub, hailed as the first of its kind, will be based at Newham Probation Office and has been developed by the Ministry of Justice and the Mayor for London’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC).
The pilot will launch in July and run until March 2023 for 18- to 25-year-olds who are assessed as having low levels of maturity and 17-year-olds transitioning from the youth offending service to adult probation.
Mental health and substance misuse experts will work alongside National Probation Service staff, as part of an innovative new approach to ensure vulnerable young adults receive enhanced support to avoid becoming involved in crime.
The hub will also offer support around accommodation, training and employment amid concerns offenders released from custody without a home or job are more likely to reoffend.
It will bring together existing services under one roof before being externally assessed over its success to reduce reoffending outcomes for those it supports.
If it is deemed to have reduced reoffending levels and improved outcomes, the service could be rolled-out across the country in a bid to save some of the £18 billion annual cost of repeat crimes.
Pavan Dhaliwal, chief executive of Revolving Doors Agency, which supports offenders not to reoffend, said: “We welcome this investment. The new probation hub will deliver support that’s tailored to the distinct needs of young adults, giving them a chance to realise their potential.
“We know that severe disadvantage is the root cause of crime. A mix of trauma, poverty and inequalities ultimately leads to mental ill-health, homelessness, and addiction that hold these young adults back. The process of maturity, including neurological development, continues well into a person’s mid-20s, making some young adults more likely to get caught in the revolving door of crisis and crime.”
London’s deputy mayor for policing and crime, Sophie Linden, added: “It’s vital we do everything we can to prevent reoffending and give young people who have been through the criminal justice system the support they need to turn their lives around.
“We know the pandemic has meant fewer jobs and opportunities for our young people and that is why this new hub in Newham is so important. It will give us the platform to make vital interventions and deliver specialist support to vulnerable young people, helping them turn away from crime and rebuild their lives through access to housing, education and job opportunities.”