Young people leaving custody to be helped to find their feet

A new resettlement plan for young people leaving custody has been launched by the Youth Justice Board.

Of the 6,500 young people passing through young offender institutions, secure training centres and local authority secure children’s homes each year, 70% re-offend within 12 months. The plan aims to improve this statistic by increasing suitable accommodation for 16- to 17-year-olds and encouraging housing associations and registered social landlords to work more closely with YOIs.

Launching the strategy, Youth Resettlement: A Framework For Action, Youth Justice Board chair Rod Morgan said: “We know that the vast majority of young people in custody have come from extremely chaotic backgrounds. We have a collective responsibility to make sure that those children and young people leaving custody to not return to such chaos.”