Call for police and crime commissioners to improve diversion among young adults
Neil Puffett
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Police and crime commissioners (PCCs) have been urged to ensure local policing plans include proposals to support young adults away from crime.
A 10-point plan published by Revolving Doors Agency alongside the Transition to Adulthood Alliance (T2A), with input from young adults with experience of the criminal justice system, calls for PCCs to "create a distinct approach to engaging and collaborating with young adults".
It encourages them to work to understand and address disparities in the public’s trust in policing in order to improve reporting of crime amongst young adults, and ensure police and local partner agencies have access to training on developmental maturity.
It also recommends tailored diversion approaches for young adults who commit low-level offences and improved responses for young adults with multiple needs.
Elections of police and crime commissioners in England and Wales were held on 6 May 2021 with successful candidates undertaking a three-year term.
Joyce Moseley, chair of T2A, said the recent election of PCCs offers a "unique opportunity" to develop services that support young adults to move away from crime.
"PCCs have a crucial role in tailoring services for local communities and the 10-point plan provides practical steps to engage young adults involved in crime as well as supporting young adult victims of crime," she said.
The plan also calls for the development of restorative justice "at every stage of the criminal justice process", and for maturity to be considered as part of the decision-making process on arrest, charge and prosecution.
It goes on to urge the creation of a women-specific approach, which includes addressing the particular needs of young adult women, as well as for services to be "racially and culturally sensitive".
Pavan Dhaliwal, chief executive of Revolving Doors Agency, said: “Police and crime commissioners play a crucial role in helping young adults move away from the criminal justice system. By adopting a distinct approach to young adults, and a focus on diversion, police and crime commissioners can reduce reoffending, build stronger communities, and help young adults turn their lives around.
"This 10-point plan sets out lived-experience informed priorities to prevent and reduce crime while supporting young adults to reach their potential. It is vital that police and crime commissioners prioritise young adults in their plans, so that this group no longer fall through the cracks of the system and are instead given the opportunity to thrive.”
