Pioneer city scheme sees big youth offending drop
THE number of young people in Glasgow reoffending has dropped dramatically thanks to a scheme set up four years ago.
One Glasgow is made up of the city council, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue, Jobcentreplus and the charity sector.
One of its aims is to focus on those aged under 25 who are involved in or at risk of becoming involved in the criminal justice system, including those leaving prison and secure care.
The scheme aims to ensure they have their needs met in the most effective and cost efficient way.
A report to city councillors says young people who offend are often dealing with poverty, alcohol and drug addiction, poor family relationships, mental and physical health issues, learning, housing and employment issues.
Since One Glasgow was set up, the number of young people convicted of a crime has reduced by more than 28 per cent and the number reconvicted within a year has fallen by almost 32 per cent.
Glen Elder, chairman of the Safe Glasgow Group, said early intervention continues to be the most effective strategy when dealing with young people who are showing signs of getting involved in offending.
He added: “It has long been understood that most young people who show signs of becoming involved in offending can be quickly diverted away from crime if we engage with them early enough.
“In the last year alone, there was a 24 per cent increase in the number of young people who only needed a single referral into our Early and Effective Intervention scheme before turning things around.
“That shows if we get the right support around a young person who is straying off the path we can keep them on the straight and narrow.
“Engaging with the families and providing diversionary activities that keep the young person occupied and away from trouble are tried and tested methods that are shown to work again and again.
“As far as possible, we want to keep young people away from the formal systems and give the Children’s Panel the space to deal with more serious offending.
“This allows us to target our resources at those young people whose offending poses the greatest challenge to our communities.
“The One Glasgow partnership is very much geared up to working with these individuals and their families to stem offending.”
Mr Elder said the strategy has worked with significant reductions in reconviction rates, recorded crime and the number of young people referred to the Children’s Panel.
He added: “Glasgow’s communities have been much safer by the partnership approach to youth crime and we intend to do everything we can to keep youth offending in check.”