Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to the Public Bill Committee on the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill of 13 October 2011, Official Report, columns 794-97, on young adult offenders, what specific measures he has introduced to create flexibility to enable people within the criminal justice system to begin to address this age group as a priority.
Answer
The Government's reform agenda is to drive improved results for all offenders, including young adults.Measures are also being undertaken to improve outcomes for young adult offenders through the process of transition from the youth justice system to the criminal justice system at the age of 18. The Youth to Adult Portal, that is now being piloted, has been constructed to enable timely sharing of offender assessments and other information about offenders. The Youth Justice Board with the National Offender Management Service have recently begun the process of reviewing the operation of the national joint Youth Justice Board/National Offender Management Service protocol. The YJB and NOMS are working collaboratively to replace the current community focused protocol, introduce new guidance for transitions within custody and provide examples of effective practice. This will assist in establishing an agreed transitions process which promotes understanding between youth offending teams, probation trusts and young offender institutions and more effective use of the information available at critical stages in the transition process.The Ministry of Justice is also running a programme of Payment by Results pilots. Providers will be paid for their success at rehabilitating offenders and reducing reoffending, and will be given increased freedoms to work with offenders in new and innovative ways. Young adult offenders are included within the scope of the pilots at Peterborough and Doncaster prisons. They are also included within the scope available to the local justice reinvestment pilots in Greater Manchester and London though it will be for local areas themselves to decide how they prioritise their work with regard to the risk of reoffending rather than the age of particular offenders. We will keep the position of young adult offenders under review as we develop further Payment by Results proposals.