Supervision programme set for national launch

A new intensive supervision programme for persistent young
offenders is to be rolled out across the UK from next January.

The six-month ISSP, first launched in summer 2001, combines
intense supervision with the toughest surveillance of any community
programme.

More than 4,000 persistent young offenders each year will be
subject to surveillance, such as electronic tagging or voice
verification as part of a programme of education

and training, offending behaviour work and one-to-one
supervision.

The programme is designed as an alternative to custody for
persistent young offenders.

ISSPs currently cover three-quarters of England and Wales – a
total of 50 schemes covering 119 youth offending teams.

– The number of young people locked up increased by 10 per cent
to 3,034 between January and April 2002, and the Youth Justice
Board has warned that this trend is likely to continue unless
sentencers accept the effectiveness of new community penalties such
as the ISSP.