Resources inhibit mainstream work

A leading youth justice professional questioned the ability of
mainstream services to target young people at risk of
offending.

Bob Ashford, head of prevention at the Youth Justice Board, told
the conference that mainstream agencies had a role in carrying out
targeted preventive work with these young people but that a lack of
resources might sometimes prevent this.

“The mainstream agencies failed to do so in the past and I still
have concerns about their ability to do so now,” he said. “I would
question their ability to provide any kind of preventive youth
crime services.”

He said that there would always be a role for specialist services
to target this group.