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Communities Against Crime

How You Can Help Young Offenders

Local people are being invited to sit on new 'Referral Order Panels' to help put young offenders back on the right track. Suffolk's Youth Offending Team runs the panels, which came into operation, in Suffolk, on 1st August 2000. Training is given to panel members and anybody aged 18 and over who has an interest in working with young people is welcome to apply to join the pool of Community Panel Members. This is a real opportunity for local communities and the victims of crime to get involved directly in tackling youth offending in Suffolk.

This is how it works. All first time offenders who plead guilty at their initial appearance in court will be made subject to a Referral Order (with some exceptions). Within 20 days the offender will be expected to attend a community panel meeting along with their parents or guardians, carers and any other professional involved. The victim of the crime is also invited.

Two trained Community Panel Members (volunteer members of the public) sit on each panel along with a representative of the Youth Offending Team. A contract of work for the young person is agreed, looking at the issues relating to the young person's offending behaviour. In all contracts there is an expectation that the young person completes a period of work that will benefit the local community, in addition to looking at why they are offending. This is not a soft option for the young person; if they do not complete their contract, the Panel will return them to Court where the Magistrates will then look at an alternative sentence.

The Referral Order is based on the principal of restorative justice. This is the process by which the young person is encouraged to look at the effect of their crime on their family, victim and the community. In effect, it makes the young person accountable for their actions and encourages them to take responsibility for their behaviour. They will also, in most cases, come face to face with the victim of their crime.

Anyone interested in becoming a Community Panel Member should contact Bill Page of the Youth Offending Team on 01284 352378 or by email to panel.member@yots.suffolkcc.gov.uk.