Communities and Youth Crime:

A New Start?

Tuesday 9th December 2008
New Connaught Rooms, London WC2

Conference Papers

If you would like to order the papers for this conference, including the slide presentations as they were presented to the delegate on the day, click here.

The Government's Youth Crime Action Plan details a tough yet prevention-based approach to youth crime, striving where possible to divert young people from such behaviour. It comes hot on the heels of Louise Casey's Crime and Communities Review which calls for visible ‘community payback', standardised neighbourhood policing across the UK , and for the community to play their part in fighting crime.

Gordon Brown backs many of the proposals in the Review and it seems that approaches to youth crime are advancing on two diverging paths. Welfare policy is working to provide positive activities and early intervention to identify those at risk of offending, giving every child every chance to avoid slipping into the criminal justice system. On the other hand, if a young person does transgress, the punishments are set to become tougher to help boost the public's confidence in the criminal justice system. Casey explains it thus: “ It's two sides of the same coin - we both want to prevent people becoming criminals in the first place, we want to give them a chance to turn their back on crime if they do become criminals, but we also want law breakers to face a tough consequence.”

This forward-thinking conference looks at the next five years of tackling youth crime and anti-social behaviour at a local level. Key speakers from Government, the criminal justice system, social care and wider community stakeholders will discuss the measures outlined in both documents. The programme will map out how to successfully remove the drivers that lead to crime and how to implement the necessary deterrents.

For further information contact Sarah Spencer on 020 7324 4359,
e-mail sarah.spencer@neilstewartassociates.co.uk