The Youth Justice Board (YJB) has urged the Home Office to increase
spending on youth inclusion programmes from £3m a year to
£12m.
The programmes, known as YIPs, are focused on 70 high crime areas.
They aim to attract the most at-risk young people in the most
deprived areas and steer them away from crime. Programmes include
education, life classes, drug awareness, apprenticeships, sport and
recreation.
The YJB claims YIPs have been successful in reducing crime. Across
YIP areas between January and March this year there was a 74.6 per
cent fall in arrest rates of the 50 young people considered by the
police to be most at risk of offending.
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Last month, it was announced in the comprehensive spending review
that the Home Office budget would be increased by an extra
£1.5bn in 2003-4, £1.9bn in 2004-5, and £2.7bn in
2005-6.
The YJB says spending an additional £9m from this increase
would mean almost 300 areas could be covered by YIPs. It has also
criticised the Home Office for failing to say how the existing
money will be spent. "The delay about making a decision for YIPs in
the next financial year has resulted in managers leaving, fearing
they have no job prospects," said a spokesperson from the
YJB.
The Home Office said it will make a decision in the autumn as to
whether funding will be available for YIPs and holiday schemes.
