Antisocial behaviour orders given to young people will be reviewed after a year, the government announced yesterday. The idea is to allow changes in a young person's behaviour to be taken into account, said Home Office minister Hazel Blears. Guidance on how to use Asbos is to be updated so that professionals can use the orders most effectively, she added.
Asbos for young people currently run for a minimum of two years.
Blears called reviews an "important safeguard" to make sure the "young person is receiving the support they need to prevent them breaching the terms of their Asbo and causing further harm to the community."
Chair of the Youth Justice Board Rod Morgan welcomed Asbo reviews and said a year "may be sufficient to achieve lasting changes to many young people's behaviour and attitudes."
Record numbers of Abos are being issued, Home Office statistics published yesterday show. Between April and June this year, 918 Asbos were handed out, which is 14 per cent of all Asbos issued since they were first used in 1999 and a one per cent increase from the previous quarter. Nearly half of all Asbos, 43 per cent, are to juveniles, one per cent lower than the previous quarter.
The total number of Asbos issued stood at 6497 on 30 June, the most recent figures.
In future, Asbos can be issued for "environmental" crime such as vandalism, noise nuisance and fly-tipping, the government announced.
"Research shows that public awareness of Asbos and confidence in them is high. There is a simple reason for this - Asbos work," said Blears.