New penalty aims to punish and reform

A new community penalty aimed at 18 to 20-year-old young offenders
was launched by the home office last week to provide an effective
alternative to custody.

Introducing the Intensive Control and Change Programme (ICCP), Home
Office minister Hilary Benn said: “Short-term custodial sentences
with no support or supervision after release can’t fully address
underlying problems and provide limited opportunity for
rehabilitation.

“This new community penalty will not only punish but will also
directly tackle offending behaviour to reduce crime.”

The Probation Service, working closely with the police, will
monitor young offenders on the programme through daily curfews
enforced by electronic tagging, surveillance and direct local
police involvement and rapid reaction to breaches.

Connexions, Jobcentre Plus, the Probation Service and other
partners will work to rehabilitate the young offender through 25
hours a week of intensive activity including 18 hours of education,
training and employment and seven hours of reparation work in the
community working with a mentor.

ICCPs will be piloted in London, Nottinghamshire, Northumbria,
Humberside and West Yorkshire from April. The first ICCP was issued
to a young adult offender at Hull magistrates court last week.