Report puts forward new approach to stop young people reoffending
Tuesday 12 December 2017
YOUNG people leaving prison will only stop reoffending if authorities work to change the image they have of themselves from the moment their sentences begin.
That’s the conclusion of a new report aimed at shaking up the resettlement of young offenders, written by University of Salford criminologists and now being looked at by the Ministry Of Justice.
The report, written by Professor Neal Hazel and based on two decades of research, puts forward a new model for youth justice and says young people leaving custody only stay out of trouble if rehabilitation services have helped them shift the way they see themselves - from being criminal to being able to offer something positive.
He explains: “Our research has shown that the young people who don’t reoffend are the ones who have managed to change the way that they see themselves.
“We saw boys who thought of themselves as tough on the streets, got respect that way and ended up offending violently and being imprisoned. They needed help to see how to get respect another way.
“It worked with one tough lad who was helped to see himself as a future construction worker, worked hard towards that future and ended up with an apprenticeship. He now gets status and respect from this new identity instead of the street. That’s effective youth justice work, and this approach needs to become the norm.”
Professor Hazel, who has previously worked in a senior role at HM Inspectorate of Probation for England and Wales, says a major problem with the current system is that preparations for helping young offenders resettle into society are often left until they are about just to leave custody – which means the support often fails.
Planning support for the future
The research, which includes detailed interviews with current and former young offenders, shows that successful re-entry to the community depends on how support services are organised.
It found five key characteristics for effective services, but most importantly the work needs to involve the young people in planning support for their future, and to start from the moment they enter custody.
Professor Hazel said: “There is a huge global problem in the fact that young people leaving custody have the worst reconviction rates of any offenders – largely because it reinforces their criminal identity – so courts should avoid prison for kids if possible.
“But where custody is necessary for public protection, we desperately need to improve rehabilitation services for when young people come back out.
“Kids who are in trouble often don’t engage with education and other positive interventions because they don’t see the relevance to themselves and their future. You have to work with them early so these things become part of how they see themselves and their future, rather than feel it imposed on them – that’s when you see a change in behaviour.”
Praise from policymakers
The new report, launched at the Youth Justice Board’s Annual Convention, has attracted praise from policymakers and Professor Hazel is now engaged in a series of meetings with the Ministry of Justice.
The research, which Professor Hazel carried out along with colleagues Dr Andrew Clark and Dr Kelly Lockwood from the School of Health and Society, is an example of the University of Salford’s innovative Industry Collaboration Zone approach, which sees academics working with industry to meet global challenges.
The report is the final publication of the six-year Beyond Youth Custody lottery-funded research project, a partnership between the charity and university sector, including the University of Salford, Nacro (the social justice charity), ARCS UK and Bedfordshire University.
The full report, “Now all I care about is my future” – supporting the shift can be found here.
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