On the 27th August 2010, IARS was visited by the Crime and Policing unit from the Home Office, along with representatives from the Prolific and other Priorities Offending Programme (PPO). Present at the meeting were IARS' staff and a selection of volunteers from the Youth Empowerment Programme and the Youth Advisory Board to the Serious Youth Violence Board.
The meeting focused on the use of the youth-led model for engaging and supporting young people who are at risk of offending or are offenders. IARS has engaged young offenders and those at risk of offending into research and policy projects as a positive diversionary activity. In this way young people engage in a supported project for 6 months or more, and develop research skills on a policy issue that is important to them. This research is then used to influence policy and practice.
Tushay Dolen, from the Youth Advisory Board, spoke about the value of youth-led research on policing operations whilst Helena Doku, from the Youth Empowerment Project, spoke about the valued skills she had gained through her project. These young people highlighted the positive impacts that the youth-led model has had on them personally.
Dr. Theo Gavrielides also gave a presentation on the use of Restorative Justice (RJ) in the juvenile justice system and with serious violence cases. IARS is currently involved in a review of the use of RJ with sentenced and incarcerated young people. The findings from this review will be published next year.
Overall the meeting was a very positive and IARS will be working more closely with the Home Office to inform new policy and consultations around youth crime in the future.
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