New pilot centre for youth offenders in Newham to combat ‘career criminality’

The centre, in Newham, will offer mental health, substance misuse, employment and housing assistance under one roof for young adults on probation aged between 18 and 25
Katie Collins/PA
By Martin Bentham5 March 2021
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Young offenders at risk of involvement in gangs and drugs will be offered specialist help to steer them away from crime at a new centre in London funded by the Ministry of Justice.

The centre, in Newham, will offer mental health, substance misuse, employment and housing assistance under one roof for young adults on probation aged between 18 and 25.

The aim is to ensure that freed offenders in this age group – who ministers believe are particularly vulnerable to being drawn back into crime and recruitment by gangs – receive early support after to address the root causes of their unlawful conduct.

Announcing the centre, which will operate on a pilot basis until at least 2023, the Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said: “This ground-breaking new model will help offenders get their lives back on the straight-and-narrow before it’s too late they become career criminals.

“It will mean less reoffending and fewer people becoming victims of crime while also giving these young adults all the tools they need to make the most of their lives.”

City Hall is also helping to fund the centre and London’s deputy mayor for policing, Sophie Linden said it will enable “vulnerable young people” to “rebuild their lives through access to housing, education and job opportunities.”

She added: “We know the pandemic has meant fewer jobs and opportunities for our young people and that is why this new hub in Newham is so important. It will give us the platform to make vital interventions.”

Research has shown repeatedly that many young offenders suffer from problems such as mental health difficulties, substance abuse and poor education.

They have a particularly high risk of reoffending as a result and are more likely to carry out drug, robbery and weapons offences and become involved in gangs or “county lines” drug trading.

The new centre, that will open in July, has been prompted by concern that at the moment, the transition from supervision by youth offending teams, which deal with juvenile criminals up to the age of 17, to adult probation can lead to the specific needs of young adults not being adequately addressed.

Officials indicate that if the Newham centre proves successful, as ministers expect, then further funding for similar projects elsewhere is likely.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in