A new MoJ ‘process evaluation’ of Newham Y2A Probation Hub, a specialist youth to adulthood transitions service, which Barrow Cadbury Trust’s T2A (Transition to Adulthood Alliance) has supported for several years, has concluded that it is a successful model. The process evaluation took two years to look in detail at the implementation of this specialist young adult Hub in East London.  

The model is based on T2A evidence of what works for young adults. Over the last 20 years, T2A has focused on how best justice services can support young adults to build positive lives away from crime. T2A’s core ask is for a distinct service that takes the best elements from youth justice services and develops them for young adult use. These services would be ‘young adult first,’ trauma-informed, strengths-based, and build strong pro-social identities.  

The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), with support from the Ministry of Justice, London Probation Service and the Treasury’s Shared Outcomes fund, set up the Hub in March 2022 to respond to the specific needs of young adults on probation in Newham. It was purposefully and carefully designed to meet the specific needs of young adult, with input from young adults themselves. 

The set up 

A purpose-built space was developed so that young adults could be supported separately to older adults. Young adults were consulted during the design stage and all staff had specialist training in trauma-informed practice, neurodiversity, and developmental maturation. Staff worked with young adults on strengths-based and future-focused approaches. Flexibility around breach and enforcement was part of the ethos, and young adults’ successes were celebrated – a model adapted from youth justice services. 

Alongside the mandatory service provided by probation, probation staff also supported young adults to access voluntary sector services such as mentoring and coaching, speech and language support, restorative justice, and housing support, along with education, training, and employment advice.   Those young adults with mental health needs or who face extra neurodiversity challenges could access creative therapy.  

Findings  

Barrow Cadbury Trust’s ambition in supporting this project was that the Hub would be a template for the delivery of probation services to young adults across England and Wales.  

The key finding of the process evaluation, was that the Hub had the potential to shape young adults’ maturational development and enable them to develop self-belief, build resilience, and regulate their behaviour.  

Staff were positive about the impact of the Hub on young adults’ compliance and engagement, notably in the successful completion of sentences, as well as on young adults’ lives. The bedrock of the service is developing responsibility and forward planning skills that are all important for desistance. The evaluation found that staff were well-informed about the specific challenges facing young adults and supported them in responding to trauma in an informed, and person-centred way. Multiple services all on one site meant same day referrals were possible, and there were relatively short waiting times for first appointments, so that momentum built early on and made building relationships easier.   

The evaluation highlighted the difficult life experiences that these young adults have faced in their short lives, including social and economic disadvantage, poverty and racial discrimination, reflecting the fact that Newham is the second most disadvantaged borough in London. Many had high levels of support needs because of their lack of maturity, their thinking, behaviour, attitudes and lifestyles. The evaluators recognised that these adversities and life changes take time to work through and overcome. Practitioners acknowledged this: “It takes time for young people who haven’t had the same benefits, the positive inputs, the positive attachments, the community. If they haven’t had that, they need time, and time isn’t two years … for long lasting change.” 

How the Hub supported young adults 

This model of delivering probation services to young adults, where the emphasis is on preparing them for a stable adulthood and independence, is significantly different to the offer available to older adults. Six core values  – safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment, and inclusivity are the essence of the Hub’s approach.  

Although it is not the function of probation to turn children into adults, probation services can support the goal of reducing offending by assisting in the young person’s journey to independent adulthood. Young adults interviewed had a sense that maturity is something that develops and with the support of the Hub staff they felt empowered to put in place the building blocks to change their lifestyles.  

It wasn’t just the young adults who recognised the benefits of the Hub. Staff welcomed the greater professional autonomy and flexibility they had as well as the advantages of holding pre-breach interviews before proceedings were necessary.   

Young adults found the Hub a safe and welcoming area to engage, both with their probation officer and in therapeutic activities. This holistic approach made a crucial contribution to long-term positive outcomes. The wraparound support gives young adults the space to grow and learn about themselves.  

The evaluation found that the Hub’s emphasises on cultural awareness and gender-specific services was appreciated by staff and young adults. This emphasis ensures that the diverse backgrounds and experiences of individuals are respected and valued, fostering a sense of belonging and understanding. The gender-specific approach recognises the unique needs and challenges faced by women, and how important  tailored support is in a separate space, alongside other women’s services.  

Outcomes/Experiences 

One objective of the hub is to improve partnership working and information sharing between services so that young adults are less likely to fall through the net when children’s services support falls away at 18. The evaluation found that staff were able to develop strong, collaborative, trusted relationships with each other, with a shared purpose, and gain knowledge, formal and informally, from specialist professionals, a greater diversity of partners, as well as tapping into ongoing training and development. Probation officers benefitted from more time with young adults due to smaller caseloads. 

The future 

So far, more than 400 young adults have engaged with probation services in the Y2A Hub. The evaluation has demonstrated that success or failure of the service cannot be captured solely in reoffending data.  T2A agrees with the evaluators that stage-specific services which help young people develop into mature adults are crucial. But we also recognise the importance of finding metrics for a young adult’s growth in their outlook, perceptions, maturity and self-identity. 

The fact that staff and young adults interviewed were unanimously in favour of rolling out similar hubs in other parts of London and more widely is testament to the value of the model and the careful evidence-informed work that went into its planning. This is an innovation that the Government should be grasping with both hands, in line with its mission to “reduce the barriers to opportunity” and its ambition to tackle violence amongst young people.  And the probation service deserves huge credit for putting evidence into practice and in so doing showing that the principles espoused by T2A have benefited young adults involved in the justice system.  

This positive evaluation and the 20 years of T2A’s experience strongly underpin the need for young adults to receive specialist support, delivered in dedicated settings. 

 T2A welcomes the publication of this report.  It is a positive sign that young adults are increasingly on statutory agencies’, practitioners’, and policy makers’ agendas. 

It confirms that while there has been a fall in the number of young adults in contact with probation services, young adults are still disproportionately represented on the probation caseload (19.5%) compared to the general population (9.6%).  This decrease is to be welcomed and we see it as a real opportunity for the creation of more distinct services for young adults for them to be supported as they make the transition to adulthood. 

 T2A was pleased to provide a sounding board for HMPPS as they developed their policy on young adults embodied in the 2022 Young Adult Probation Framework. The Framework pulls together the evidence on maturity and provides a central resource for guidance to probation practitioners and managers on how best to work with young adults. Whilst HMPPS has stated its commitment to a holistic, trauma-informed approach for young adults, probation services have had numerous other priorities, including reorganisation, staff shortages, and resulting capacity issues. We would like to see HMPPS refresh the Framework, as well as relaunching it, along with a clear statement on how they plan to evaluate the outcomes of the Framework given the challenges around data identified by the Probation Inspectorate. 

This Inspectorate report references the Target Operating Model which outlines expectations for the delivery of probation services. Early iterations of the model included recognising young adults as a cohort requiring specialist pathways, as is the case for women (for whom a dedicated Women’s Justice Board has recently been announced), and those with neurodiverse needs. This was not implemented, but T2A would welcome a specialist young adults’ pathway being put back on the table now that there are fewer young adults entering the system.  A model for co-commissioning appropriate community-based provision is also urgently needed. 

 Young adults and practitioners spoken to as part of the report emphasised the importance of probation officers taking time to build trusting relationships by listening and understanding. T2A continues to argue for smaller caseloads for those working with young adults: that additional investment paves the way for a move away from crime. The ‘plasticity’ of young adults’ brains means that the early years of adulthood are a particularly good time for learning, personal growth and the development of a pro-social identity and for ensuring reliability and time-keeping etc.  

We would also like HMPPS to look at how practitioners can have greater freedom and flexibility to exercise their professional judgment and creativity to engage effectively with young adults. The MoJ/MOPAC Newham hub is an example of how to do this.   HMPPS and Police and Crime Commissioners could co-commission specialist services that plug gaps in the criminal justice and other systems that many young adults fall through. 

 The Inspectorate report raises important concerns around race and gender which are also a particular focus for T2A. We are disappointed to see that delivering race and gender-sensitive approaches remains a significant challenge, brought to life by the poor experiences of both young adults and staff recorded in the report. 

 T2A is very happy to speak to HMPPS as it seeks to apply and embed the Framework and evaluate the efficacy of the Target Operating Model. We are encouraged that HMPPS seeks to promote the evidence on young adults to practitioners through its training and online resources.  T2A is currently working with HMPPS and Revolving Doors to deliver a series of seminars for probation practitioners focused on the transition to adulthood. 

Read the inspectorate report 

Vacancy, Programme Manager, Criminal Justice

Barrow Cadbury Trust’s Criminal Justice programme focuses on young adults in the criminal justice system and on the intersections between racial justice, gender justice and criminal justice. The Transition to Adulthood campaign is at the heart of our criminal justice work and has led to significant improvements in the way the criminal justice system responds to young adults. We have also been engaged in significant work challenging the over-representation of racialised people involved in the system and in campaigning for a more appropriate response for women.

Our current Criminal Justice programme manager, Laurie Hunte, is moving on, and we are looking for someone with knowledge of criminal justice, experience of the third sector and an understanding of how to build a successful campaign for change to be our new Criminal Justice Programme Manager. Using your skills and experience you will help us to achieve our mission of improving the criminal justice system for young adults and eliminating race and gender discrimination within it.

We have a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and we encourage applications from people with personal experience of the social justice and human rights issues we seek to address. Any offer of employment will be made subject to references, confirmation of the right to work in the UK where we will need to see original documents.

Before you apply have a look at the Criminal Justice page on the Barrow Cadbury Trust website.

How to apply and interview date:
Please email Maddy Rooke-Ley: [email protected] with your CV and a covering letter setting out how your skills and experience meet the person specification (no more than 2 sides of A4.)

Deadline for applications 3 October 2024 at 8:00am. Please also complete and return the Equal Opportunities form and note our Privacy statement.

Interviews for short listed candidates will be held on Wednesday 16th October at our office at The Foundry, 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR.

Job description
Privacy statement
Equal opportunities form

We recently spoke to Probation Practitioner Ellie Carr who took part in the West Midlands Always Hope pilot. This programme helps professionals to offer more effective support to young adults with care experience while in custody and after release.

“I’m a probation officer at the Nuneaton office, which is part of the Warwickshire Probation Delivery Unit (PDU). Last year, I worked with a young man with care experience called Tom*.

Prior to meeting Tom, Ellie was contacted by Leah*, a Lifelong Links Co-Ordinator. This was her first introduction to the Always Hope approach.

“That was really helpful because I knew nothing about Tom. He was put on my books just before he was released.”

Leah organised a video call to discuss the Always Hope pilot with all the different agencies working with Tom. They held a joint meeting with Tom too, so he could better understand how the different professionals would support him.

“She bridged a gap that would have taken me three to four months to build. It stopped duplication of work. It stopped confusion because we all knew what we were doing to support Tom.”

It can be very daunting for a young adult who’s just been released to make these connections themselves.

“When young adults first come out of the criminal justice system, they might struggle to connect with different agencies. They’ve got so much going on.

“Leah did all that work, but she also pulled in other agencies. She found positive adults that Tom had met in the past who could come into his life and be his role models. Working with Tom’s personal advisor (PA), we were able to vet these individuals and arrange meetings in safe environments.”

Leah’s plan was to create a sustainable network of support that would facilitate his rehabilitation in the long term – once statutory support falls away.

“All the work we’d done across probation, leaving care and lifelong links, would be carried on by a network of appropriate adults.”

The Always Hope approach made it easier to connect Tom with his PA, which can be quite a lengthy process.

“That was hugely helpful because we often have to send off lots of emails to find someone’s PA. If the young adult hasn’t made themselves known to leaving care services, they then have to be referred, which can take months.

“Whereas in this case, Leah already knew exactly who the PA was, and she had made that referral for Tom while he was in custody. He met his PA within a week of being released, so he just needed to focus on managing his appointments.”

At the outset of working together, Tom agreed that Leah could share his case history with Ellie. This meant that Ellie didn’t have to ask Tom to recount any aspects of his life that he didn’t wish to discuss.

“I told him, ‘I’ve already got your information. Is there anything you want to talk about today or should we unpack x or y?’ Without that information, I might have been asking questions about his mum, dad, or childhood, which could have damaged our rapport.”

Taking part in the Always Hope pilot has helped Ellie better understand the distinct needs of young adults and why tailored support is so crucial.

“Probation teams only learn about new agencies when we build our networks. Having Always Hope, which was a completely different network than any we’ve used before, opened our eyes to what should be happening for 18-25-year-olds.

“We have support available, but it’s probably better suited to 30-40-year-olds. We have different services for women, so we should have different services for 18–25-year-olds.”

Over her time working with Tom, Ellie was delighted to see him make such positive progress.

“He had stable housing. There had been no drug use. His relationship with his girlfriend seemed very healthy. He became less reliant on professionals, which is a key part of a successful resettlement.

“While working together, Tom came to realise that he wasn’t ready to work. He went to the GP, got himself signed off, and then he did some training instead.

“I thought that was very impressive that he recognised that he wasn’t ready to hold down a job. He did seem to mature quite quickly, and he was able to do a lot of reflective work.”

Ellie believes that the efficiency of the Always Hope approach in building support around Tom played a key role in his progression.

“I spent a lot more time working with him on his sentence plan objectives rather than trying to secure accommodation or benefits for him.

“There was no messing around chasing referrals because we were such a well-oiled machine. That allowed us all to focus on his actual needs and risks. Towards the end, Tom’s trajectory was really good. I felt he was ready to come off probation.”

Tom’s progress was halted when his accommodation was ‘cuckooed’, and he began to engage in drug-related criminal activities. However, when approached by the police, he told them what had happened.

“A dangerous individual manipulated him and took advantage. But when the police spoke to him, he admitted everything.

“That might be because he had all these support networks in place, and he’d had such a positive experience with all these agencies. He knew he’d put himself at risk by telling the police what happened, but he trusted that they would protect him. I think that shows huge growth.”

Unfortunately, Tom was subsequently given a two-year sentence for engaging in drug-related activities. Ellie acknowledged that successful rehabilitation isn’t always linear and was pleased that he’d shown great maturity by speaking to the police and explaining what had happened, despite knowing the possible outcome.

“It wasn’t the best outcome in the end, but I believe that Tom will benefit from all the fantastic work he did down the line.

“When he’s released, I hope that will be the start of a positive future for him in the long term.”

*We have used pseudonyms in this interview to protect everyone’s identity

Building Trusting Relationships – The Key to Young Adult Resettlement

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We recently spoke to Abbie Gregory, Senior Switchback Mentor, about her work supporting young men during resettlement. The charity supports young men to find a way out of the justice system and build stable, rewarding lives.

Abbie studied social sciences with a focus on criminal science and child psychology. This led her into a career in youth offending work before she joined the Switchback team in January 2022.

“As a senior mentor, my job is to work 1-to-1 with our trainees who are 18–30-year-old men in prison. Switchback works in London based prisons, and I work in Brixton, Isis and Pentonville.

“I start working with the trainees three months before release. If someone needs support with housing, addiction, employment, family or relationships, we can support in one or all those areas. The programme is really individual to the person.”

Young men can self refer themselves or be referred via the probation service. More often, mentors contact eligible young men in prison to discuss the programme and whether it might be a good fit for them.

Switchback is keen for the service to feel distinct from probation, so there are no compulsory meetings or conditions.

“The support we offer is really self-motivated. We’d never say, ‘You have to come here.’ We always want to be led by the individual.”

For Abbie, what’s key to the success of Switchback’s approach is its focus on relationships. Many of the young men the charity work with are skeptical of professionals, so it’s vital to take time to build trust.

“I build a relationship pre-release, and I’ll continue to be their mentor through the gate. I think that continuity is important.

“We’re working with guys who have rarely had a constant support system. We allow them the space to build a relationship with us, and we let them know that we’re here solely to support them.”

Small caseloads means that intensive, one-to-one support can be offered. Mentors can take a hands-on approach and really invest in each of their trainees.

“I only support five guys at any one time whereas the probation service might have 40 or 50 people on their caseload.”

“Everything we discuss gets put into action post-release. We support with practical things like getting an ID, getting a bank account sorted, navigating the immense challenges of housing, or managing worries around reoffending.

“Quite intensive support can be made available to them as and when needed. If they need a mental health sick note, I can go to the GP and help them with that. It’s really important that we have the capacity to be there for trainees, especially for urgent issues that arise. It really builds trust because they know I’ll show up when they need me.”

Switchback support trainees for 12 weeks post release, but longer-term support is still available if required. Switchback doesn’t set rigid targets around entering employment or education because the charity believes that success looks different for each trainee. Furthermore, they recognise that every young adult progresses at a different rate.

“Our outcomes aren’t about how many people we can get into jobs. It’s more about the distance they’ve come. Let’s say someone said to me, ‘I want sustainable long-term housing, and I want to see my child once a week.’ If we achieve that by the end of 12 weeks, that’s a success.

“I’m of the opinion that we could get many of our trainees into jobs, but if they’re not in a place to hold it down, that’s not going to work. So, we work with each individual to find out their goals and what they want to achieve.”

Abbie has been working with James* since last summer. On release, he chose to focus on his professional development.

“James has engaged in all the opportunities we could offer him since his release. He did film and tv training, as this was a route he wanted to explore on release. He’s now exploring music and continuing to grow his presence in the Personal Training industry. He also helps out with a running club for Switchback trainees.”

Despite these positive early steps, James’s progress would not have been recognised if the only outcome measurements at the three-month mark were securing employment or accommodation.

“He wasn’t in employment or accommodation three months after his release, so we continued to support him past the 12-week period. James has now got sustainable housing, and he’s going to university to study business.

“Only now can I say that he’s achieved stability in a lot of ways, so that just shows the value of long-term support.

“If you looked at his outcomes on paper after three months, it wouldn’t have added up. If you look at where he is now, you can see he’s achieved so much.”

Abbie believes in working closely with probation to ensure the best outcomes for the trainee.

“In an ideal world, Switchback wouldn’t exist as probation would provide the support we offer. But they don’t always have the capacity, so we ask probation to rely on us to do the work they can’t do.”

“I always try to update probation officers on the progress of different individuals. Rather than telling them when one of the young adults on their caseload has secured a job or a qualification, I share personal milestones.

“For example, I might tell them about how an individual opened up to me about his offence and identified what triggered that behaviour. This would all be done confidentially, of course, just so they can see that the individual is engaging with the process.”

While collaboration is key to helping each trainee successfully resettle in the community, Abbie believes there is immense value in Switchback remaining distinct from statutory services.

“We create a different environment from probation and statutory services, and that’s intentional. We don’t have the power to recall someone, and I think that’s a vital thing for the 1-to-1 support.

“That’s why our work is so important. We can be that support system that’s separate from government.”

*We have used a pseudonym in this interview to protect the young adult’s identity

The Switchback Programme – Young Men Share their Stories of Resettlement

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We spoke to Ray* who took part in Switchback’s 12-week programme for young men leaving custody. Through intensive 1-to-1 support and real work training, the programme helps young men build a stable, rewarding life.

“I was still in custody when I found out about Switchback. One of my friends that I was in custody with got released and he would send me letters.

“He told me, ‘Things are going well. I’ve just joined this charity called Switchback.’ He said they specifically help people who have just left custody.”

Ray decided to reach out to Switchback, who invited him to join their 12-week programme.

“I went to the Switchback office, and they were very welcoming. I never knew that organisations like this even existed. I thought you literally just went to probation and that was it.

“It was a blessing. I was talking to positive people, people willing to help, put you into legit work, find you good opportunities.”

Ray was matched with a Switchback mentor to help him adjust to life after release.

“I would say the relationship with my mentor was the same as with everyone in that whole office. The mentors, the finance department, the CEO of the charity – everyone is there with the intention to help others. It just felt right with Switchback.”

Ray’s mentor was able to help him work through his career aspirations and goals.

“When I first joined the programme, I was asked about what I want to do and my strengths. I expressed my interest in starting my own business. Making a clothing brand is a real passion of mine, something that I want to bring to fruition.

“We sat down, and we broke down my skill set. From that we made a business plan to take my ideas forward. I got an opportunity to bring it to life and do a presentation about it with other people, which was very cool.”

“They provide so much support. They have a list of organisations and companies where you can get training. And after the training, you can get a full-time job placement.”

One of the most important benefits of the Switchback programme is the intensive, 1-to-1 support that each trainee receives.

“What was most impactful for me was not necessarily what we were specifically speaking about, but the fact that there was so much frequent communication, not just a five-minute call. We were breaking down my time in custody, talking about my mental wellbeing.

“Being inside for four years is a very long time. You see the same faces, and you’re around a certain type of energy all the time.

“But at Switchback, everyone was so friendly. Being around that kind of energy just instantly raised the positivity within myself. I believe your environment can shape how you think and feel and what you do.”

Ray believes that Switchback’s mentors are incredibly diligent professionals who go above and beyond to support their trainees.

“I’ve personally witnessed them go out of their way to make phone calls to housing advisors and chase things up. They will always be on your side. They’ll find a way or find someone who can help you.”

Since completing the Switchback programme, Ray has joined the charity’s Experts by Experience (EbE) board. Members play a key role in shaping Switchback’s campaigning, policy priorities and programme development.

“EbE is where we have discussions about real important stuff that could potentially change new laws that are being passed. I’ve seen the difference and I’ve been able to meet people who I would never have been able to meet before.”

Ray and other members of EbE have had the opportunity to talk to politicians and policymakers at the Ministry of Justice – sharing their experiences and how the system could better meet the needs of young adults.

“You know that your voice can be heard, and that something can be done about it. Working with Switchback, what I have to say reaches the right people.”

Taking part in Switchback’s programme has made a huge difference to Ray’s life, so he is keen to raise more awareness of the charity’s work. Ray believes that the programme could be a blueprint for how all young adults can be successfully resettled back into the community.

“Not everyone in the world knows about Switchback, but if more people knew about them, other charities might follow in their footsteps. They’ll see that this is what works with young adults, and then more people coming out of prison will get the help they need.”

*We have used a pseudonym in this interview to protect the young adult’s identity

Helping Young Adults with Care Experience Thrive after Release

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With the election results behind us, T2A has written to our new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to outline five key priorities for the incoming government.

We’ve drawn on the research and expertise of our voluntary sector partners in the T2A Alliance to choose five areas where our next government can have most impact – creating a better justice system that helps young adults move forward with their lives.

A comprehensive cross government young adult strategy

Research has repeatedly shown that offending behaviour doesn’t happen in isolation. Revolving Doors Agency’s 2021 Broke, But Not Broken report found that the complex interplay between poverty and inequality can lead to repeat contact with policing.

It states that young adults “who are drawn into the justice system are often facing multiple challenges and severe, cumulative, and often very complex problems. These are all too often not properly understood or addressed”.

Young adults with lived experience who contributed to the research highlighted themselves how “lack of money, lack of opportunities and problematic relationships drive them into a cycle of crisis and crime”.

It’s clear that no one agency has the resource or data to understand why young adults become involved in the criminal justice system.

To tackle this complex issue, an overarching, cross-government strategy is needed – one that will connect agencies across health, education, employment, and housing to ensure no young adult is left behind.

Young Adult Probation Hubs

When many young adults turn 18, they face a ‘sharp cliff edge’ in support. Overnight, they become ‘adults’ and no longer access the benefits of the youth justice system and its rehabilitation focus.

The Youth 2 Adult (Y2A) Hub was established in 2022 as a collaboration between MOPAC, the Ministry of Justice and London Probation. This innovative pilot brought together probation services and external service providers in one specialist Hub to offer a holistic package of support to young adults. Service delivery is based on trauma-informed practice and young adult first approaches.

Young adults can access all the support they need in one place, including mentoring, housing, education and speech and language therapy.

“I never feel like I am treated like someone who has broken the law, this place is focused on healing.”

Young Adult

This innovative approach empowers young adults to make positive life changes and spend less time on probation – a key priority for the new government who will seek to relieve the overburdened probation service.

Building on the Labour party’s manifesto proposal for youth hubs, we would like to see a national network of Young Adult Probation Hubs to serve as central points for supervision, rehabilitation, and support.

Commissioning young adult services from the voluntary sector

Time and again, young adults tell us about how the best support they receive is from organisations who understand their experiences, the communities they come from, and the overlapping challenges they face in daily life.

Furthermore, some organisations have lived experience embedded in their staff and support services, meaning they can provide peer mentoring and positive role models – both of which are essential components in facilitating young adults to shift towards a pro-social identity.

It’s clear that many voluntary sector organisations can connect with and support young adults in the criminal justice system in a way that statutory services cannot. The outcomes of many of their interventions are excellent, but too little is done to integrate their work into the criminal justice system. A comprehensive commissioning strategy for voluntary sector organisations who provide services to young adults in the justice system is needed.

Problem solving courts for young adults

The Centre for Justice Innovation’s feasibility study of creating problem solving courts in the West Midlands highlighted a range of benefits to this approach.

Firstly, young adults often end up in the criminal justice system due to unaddressed needs e.g. neurodiversity, trauma, violence. This approach allows them to benefit from wrap-around support from different agencies who collaborate and share knowledge to address what is causing the offending behaviour. With a strong support network in place, and clear goals identified, young adults are more likely to fully engage in the process.

Young adults’ specialist courts could be established without legislative change: young adult cases could be heard by judges with experience of dealing with 10–17-year-olds. While adult legislation could be applied, pre-sentence information would include a focus on maturity in relation to the context of the offence. It could also allow opportunities for young adults to engage with magistrates and professionals about their progress. This would improve young adults’ perceptions of the process and help ensure a successful transition to adulthood.

For the government to tackle the cumulative disadvantages that many young adults face, and to reduce reoffending, investing in problem solving courts would be a wise decision.

Police led young adult diversion from justice services

Every locality should have pre-court diversion initiatives specifically designed for young adults as research shows that formal processing can be ineffective for low level offending.

Devon and Cornwall Police have implemented an evidence-based approach to diversion for young adults aged 18 to 25 and care leavers. Their Out of Court Resolution scheme focuses on reducing reoffending by taking a strength-based approach.

Key workers, specially trained to respond to young adults’ needs, engage with them outside official settings. The scheme provides neurodiversity screening, personalised budgets for education and employment opportunities, and pre-prosecution mental health support.

We spoke to the key workers recently, both of whom spoke effusively about how the scheme has empowered many young adults to shift to a pro-social identity. They shared numerous examples of how the young adults they’ve worked with have improved their mental health, pursued careers and life goals, and made reparations to those affected by their actions.

Pilot diversion scheme empowering young adults to make positive changes in their lives

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The Sentencing Academy explore how the sentencing process could be improved to ensure that a young adult’s level of maturity is given greater consideration.

Sentencing is a pivotal point in a young adult’s journey through the criminal justice system. An immediate or even suspended prison sentence can have very adverse effects on a young adult’s personal and professional development. Accordingly, a court should make a special effort to consider the circumstances and maturity of young adults. In recent years there has been greater acknowledgement of young adults as a distinct group when it comes to sentencing.

It has long been recognised that the age of 18 is not a ‘cliff age’ for the purposes of sentencing and that issues of youth and maturity remain relevant even after someone has entered adulthood. The Sentencing Council for England and Wales have even elaborated on the issue in their offence-specific guidelines as part of an expanded explanation for ‘Age and/or lack of maturity’ as a mitigating factor.

So, what would the Sentencing Academy like to see in the coming years? Whilst the Sentencing Council’s guidance is a welcome development, more could be done to alert sentencers to the fact that young adults are a distinct cohort. Specifically, the creation of a standalone guideline on sentencing young adults that sentencers would be required to consult, would be a positive move.

Progress on this has been made north of the border where the Scottish Sentencing Council’s guideline for ‘Sentencing young people’ applies to all those who are under the age of 25 at the time of the conviction. At present, the Sentencing Council’s corresponding guideline applies only to those under the age of 18 at the date of conviction. The creation of a ‘Sentencing young adults’ guideline would also allow for a wider range of stakeholders to contribute to the principles contained in the guideline during the Sentencing Council’s consultation process.

For the next stage in the evolution of the approach to sentencing young adults, we would like to see a greater focus on what may be effective in reducing the prospects of re-offending. There is scope for the development of different sentences for this cohort that more clearly differentiate young adults from older adults. In particular, we would like to see more innovative alternatives to short custodial sentences. We would also hope to see the resurrection of the presumption against prison sentences of 12 months or less, which was abandoned when the General Election was called. In 2023, almost 6,000 custodial sentences of this duration were imposed on people under the age of 25.

A greater use of deferred sentencing for young adults may divert more people from a potentially damaging custodial sentence. This enables a court, which would otherwise impose an immediate custodial sentence, to defer sentencing for up to six months. If the deferment period and any conditions are successfully completed, an alternative sentence such as a community order or suspended sentence order can be imposed. We welcome the Sentencing Council’s proposed new guidance that deferred sentencing may be particularly appropriate for young adults or those who are in transitional life circumstances and hope this option is utilised more frequently.

Finally, both the reasons for the sentence imposed, and the effect of the sentence itself, need to be expressed in a manner that is understandable to the young adult being sentenced. Refining sentence terminology and considering how sentencing is explained would be helpful in this regard.

A sentencing hearing should allow for a deliberative process that considers what may help rather than hinder a young adult’s development. We hope this approach may more clearly underpin the sentencing of young adults in the coming years to help facilitate a positive turning point in a young person’s life.

Young Adult Hubs: A Relational Approach to Supporting Young Adults

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Catch22 discusses how young adult hubs can deliver better outcomes for young adults in the criminal justice system and why this approach should become standard practice.

Catch22 specialise in delivering services which build resilience and aspiration in individuals and communities across the UK. Our justice services provide young people and adults with interventions, rehabilitative support and victim services in prisons and in the community – all with the overarching aim of supporting positive transitions through and away from the criminal justice system (CJS).

A relational approach

Over 100 years of service delivery has taught us that the best way of securing positive outcomes for people in the CJS is by building strong relationships which focus on the bespoke needs of the individual. There is no one size fits all solution when it comes to rehabilitation. This is especially true for young adults in the CJS, who we know are overrepresented in the system.

At this key age, young adults are experiencing so many profound transitions, positioning them at a pivotal moment in deciding their future. Such a relational approach is fundamental to redirecting their life-path away from one of crime. Indeed, we know that loss of positive relationships is a key driver of crime in the first place, and positive relationships with practitioners can protect against violence.

Newham Youth 2 Adulthood (Y2A) Transition Hub

Since April 2024, Catch22 have been part of a multidisciplinary team, commissioned by the MoJ and MOPAC and co-located with Probation, to deliver a holistic mentoring service in Newham, called the Newham Youth 2 Adulthood (Y2A) Transition Hub. Our work supports young adults aged 18-25 on probation in Newham, and 17-year-olds who are transitioning from the youth justice system to adult probation.

Our caseworkers focus on building trusting relationships with the young people referred into the service through a developmentally appropriate and maturity informed approach. In other words, this means assessing young adult social, emotional and intellectual development and tailoring engagement to meet their needs, as opposed to basing assessment solely on their biological age.

Why are we passionate about this approach?

The 17-25 year old cohort in the CJS is unique and presents very specific needs. Many of the young people on Probation have experienced significant trauma, have mistrust of the system or are vulnerable in one way or another.

It’s clear that there’s not enough being done to provide young adults with the required level of support, opportunities and aspirations for them to make long-term positive changes. In fact, we see many thousands of young people enter the justice system and never leave – going on to lead a “revolving door” life in and out of the CJS throughout their adulthood.

Whilst it is recognised by the CJS that a maturity informed approach is required, the system is yet to fully embed a tailored, end-to-end approach which responds to the bespoke needs of young adults, acknowledging brain development, maturity and focusing on enabling positive change and progression.

This is exactly what the Newham Y2A Hub seeks to address. The Y2A hub takes a multi-agency, place-based approach to supporting the young adult cohort. By creating a safe, age appropriate, supportive environment, as well as access to additional support services (such as accommodation, therapy and emotional wellbeing) all under one roof, the Y2A Transition Hub enables young adults to build positive working relationships with professionals and reignite trust in the system. Most importantly, it gives them the tools and motivation to lead a positive, pro-social life as they enter adulthood.

Future Focus

Early evidence suggests that the multi-agency, relational approach adopted within the Newham Y2A Hub is effective in supporting positive transitions and creating hope for a brighter future amongst young adults in the CJS. Looking forward, we want to see this approach embedded as standard practice across the sector. Investment in the implementation of similar relational-based support services will have long-term impacts across the CJS, not least in reducing recidivism.

Greater Consideration of Maturity: A New Vision for Young Adult Sentencing

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Fionnuala Ratcliffe, Research and Policy Lead at Transform Justice, shares some insights from their recent report on how young adult maturity is considered in the magistrates’ court.

“How did you go bankrupt?”
“Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.”

This Ernest Hemingway quote has been on my mind this week in relation to achieving behaviour change in the magistrates’ courts.

The Barrow Cadbury Trust has long been advocating for a distinct approach to young adults in the criminal justice system. Their work has led to some significant changes in policies in the magistrates’ courts. The sentencing guidelines set out how ‘age and/or lack of maturity’ can affect a person’s responsibility for the offence. Prosecutors are guided to consider maturity in their charging decisions, as is the probation service in its pre-sentence reports.

What difference have these maturity policies and guidelines made in court? That’s where Transform Justice’s CourtWatch London programme came in. We recruited and trained volunteer members of the public (courtwatchers) to observe local magistrates’ courts hearings and write down what they saw.
82 courtwatchers reported on over 1,100 hearings between them with just under 200 involving young adult defendants. One area we asked them to focus on was maturity. What was said about young adults’ maturity? What impact did it have on the court’s decision making?

How is maturity discussed and considered in the magistrates’ court?

Courtwatchers reported that maturity is not even mentioned most of the time, let alone considered. In two thirds of young adult hearings, maturity was not discussed in open court, even though courtwatchers often felt it was relevant: “I found it puzzling that the defendant’s age wasn’t used in the defence strategy. He was clearly young and quite scared in the dock.” Where it was raised, it was usually briefly and generically, as part of a long list of factors. One courtwatcher described the mentioning of maturity as a “tick box” exercise.

There were some examples of court professionals raising maturity in a considered way. In one case, a young Romanian man had been charged with stealing over £1,000 of alcohol from a supermarket. The prosecutor made a detailed case for taking the young adult’s developing maturity into account: “He used a report on the precarious position of young adults in society, especially emphasising the ineffectiveness of viewing them as adults as soon as they turn 18. Using the research, he emphasised the growth still needed and urged leniency.”

In a very small number of cases (not the one above, unfortunately), maturity arguments prompted the court to reduce sentence length, or at least adjourn for further information. But usually comments on maturity were dismissed by court decision makers or deprioritised over other factors.

Why isn’t maturity featuring in magistrates’ court decision-making?

What to make of this absence of maturity from court discussions? We brought the findings to a group of stakeholders at a roundtable on the 4th of June. Everyone was supportive of young adults being treated differently by the courts, but the group felt there were several barriers to this happening in practice.

Training could be improved so that everyone – magistrates, district judges, prosecutors and defence lawyers – understands maturity and why it matters. Magistrates currently have no mandatory training on maturity, so this should be incorporated into their core training. CPS training and guidance does cover maturity but, as our report shows, prosecutors aren’t doing much better than magistrates.

Maturity is also difficult to define and there is no tried and tested assessment tool. A dedicated probation officer with enough time could do a good job of outlining how the young adult’s maturity was a factor in the offence and the implications for sentencing. But probation services are under-resourced and so this rarely happens.

Roundtable attendees also felt maturity could be seen as vague, compared to other factors such as mental health and drugs where the available interventions are clearer. Courtwatchers picked up on this too: “I did not feel magistrates felt convinced about argument on defendant maturity. They took more interest in the doctor’s report on depression and the defendant being his mother’s carer.”

Mentioning maturity could also have a backfire effect – if a judge hears a young man is immature and therefore more susceptible to negative influences through peer pressure, a judge may be more likely to see him as ‘risky’.

Suddenly not gradually? Towards a young adult court

Better assessment, training and staffing could all help magistrates’ courts take a more considered approach to young adult hearings and maturity. Courtwatchers did witness some good practice from the courts, and there is scope to build on this progress.

But changing the mindsets of every professional and magistrate in the adult court system is a long and gradual slog. Can we improve how young adults are treated via a different route?

A more radical option is to grow the remit of the youth court, where the mindsets around maturity have already shifted. The youth court has ‘child first’ principles where courts are told to ‘prioritise the best interests of the child’ and focus on building a ‘pro social identity’. Magistrates, prosecutors and lawyers all have specialist youth court training meaning they have a much better understanding of low maturity and its consequences.

In the foreword for our report, Rob Allen (former T2A Alliance Chair) advocates for raising the age of people dealt with in the youth court beyond the age of 17. A small step towards this could be to hold young adult hearings one afternoon after the youth court sits in the morning. Young adults would then benefit from the expertise and training of youth court magistrates, aided by youth specialist prosecutors and defence lawyers, whose workload has reduced over the years since (thankfully) fewer children are brought to court.

A pilot young adult court would introduce some complexities around court listings, so it would need to be trialled in one area where the court service is willing to give it a go.

This may strike some as quite a radically different approach, but we’ve tried gradual – perhaps it’s time for something else.

Our sons and daughters: Is maturity considered in the magistrate’s court?

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