Possible youth justice role for army revealed

The government is considering using organisations outside the youth justice system to manage young people at risk of offending.

Speaking to 0-19.co.uk this week, a Home Office spokesperson confirmed that the government was doing “a significant amount of work about how organisations outside the formal youth justice system can provide support, opportunities and interventions for young people who are at risk of offending”.

The confirmation came following press reports of a leaked email last week which suggested that home secretary John Reid was interested in involving the army in the care of young offenders and those at risk of entering the youth justice system.

The email, dated June 6 2006 and published in full on the Guardian website this week, also suggested he was reconsidering the option of a uniform for those given community sentences to make their contribution back to society more visible as they carried out unpaid work.

The idea of uniforms for offenders serving community sentences was first mooted by former Home Office minister Hazel Blears last year but was quickly dropped after encountering an unfavourable reception.