90% Of Young People Released From Custody Will Re-Offend

Nearly 90% of young people released from custody will reoffend within one year of being released, according to the Audit Office.

In a new report, the organisation revealed the average cost to keep a youth offender in custody is £324,000 a year.

In 2015/16, the Youth Justice Agency's costs were £6.9 million, when around 160 young people were detained.

The report states while the number of first-time offences committed by young people has been declining over the years, more than one in four young offenders will go on to reoffend within one year. Repeat offenders account for 72% of all youth crime and disorder.

Kieran Donnelly, the Comptroller and Auditor General, said there is a need for a specific strategy to guide the Executive in terms of youth justice policy and interventions, as well as to help co-ordinate the delivery of youth justice services."

"Assessing the cost effectiveness of interventions used to address offending behaviour is the foundation for delivering value for money," he said.

"The Department and the Youth Justice Agency lack the capacity to identify and apportion costs to the full range of interventions. Consequently, they cannot adequately assess their cost-effectiveness and cannot currently demonstrate that the interventions to reduce reoffending by young people represent value for money ."

In its report, the Audit Office said: "Reducing reoffending by young people requires significant political and cross-department support to be successful.

"In practice this will require public bodies to work collaboratively and to maintain their engagement with partners in single outcome agreements. They must work effectively not only with traditional partners in the criminal justice system, but also with key departments and agencies in health, education and housing."

The Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, Koulla Yiasouma, said there is a lack of focus and loss of momentum in how to deal with children who offend.

"The NIAO report clearly shows that the current system’s interventions and services are not effectively tackling offending and reoffending and is not therefore delivering for these children and young people," she said.

"It is not acceptable that the Department of Justice and the Youth Justice Agency cannot cost the interventions in place for children and young people; more importantly it is not acceptable that they cannot demonstrate positive outcomes for children and young people following these interventions - our young people deserve more."

(LM)