T2A Alliance to fund diversion initiatives for young offenders
Neil Puffett
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Pilot projects to divert young people from crime at different points in the justice system have been launched in six areas of England.
The Transition to Adulthood Alliance (T2A) 'Pathway' projects will work with 16- to 25-year-olds over the next three years through partnerships between local agencies and the voluntary sector.
The projects cover provision of mental health support, restorative justice, drug and alcohol treatment, family engagement and help with finding employment, and include:
- A project working with 18- to 24-year-old women who have been stopped by the police for antisocial behaviour or minor offences, or been arrested in Westminster, Hammersmith & Fulham, or Kensington & Chelsea
- Interventions for young adults with mental health problems who are taken into police custody in Rotherham
- Restorative mentoring interventions for young adults aged from 17- to 25-years-old across South Yorkshire
- A specialist service for young adults being sentenced in Liverpool who have drug and alcohol problems
- Family support services for young men and women in custody in three prisons in Staffordshire, which continues on their release.
- And a mentoring support project to boost employment, education and training prospects for young adults aged 16 to 25 in the West Midlands, who have at least three months left of a custodial sentence
The projects, which are each being funded to the tune of £50,000 a year over the three years (£900,000 in total), are intended to further develop the work of three T2A pilots that worked with more than 2,000 young adults between 2009 and 2013 in London, Birmingham and Worcestershire.
An evaluation of the pilots showed that treating young adults as a distinct group and providing tailored support programmes reduced offending and increased employment.
Joyce Moseley OBE, chair of the T2A Alliance said: “Young people on the cusp of adulthood often have a range of challenges to overcome, and those in trouble with the law have often lost contact with family, education or employment, which are vital for turning away from a life of crime.
“We’ve known for some time that young adults in the criminal justice system benefit hugely from a distinct approach that takes account of their variable maturity and addresses their particular needs.
“T2A’s research has shown how services can work effectively with young adults throughout the criminal justice process and link them back to a crime-free life, benefitting them and their communities.
“The T2A Pathway will provide young adults across the country with the opportunity to make amends and address their offending, and guide them into a stable and productive adulthood.”
Evaluations of each of the projects will be undertaken to measure the success and potential savings.
