Preventing youth offending

15 June 2000

Preventing youth from getting into trouble and dealing with those who have offended is the focus of the $22.12 million Youth Justice package in this year's Budget," says Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey, Justice Minister Phil Goff, Courts Minister Matt Robson and Police Minister George Hawkins.

"Young people who have offended will be dealt with, but we also want to do our best to ensure that young people can be prevented from coming to harm or committing crime.

"This co-ordinated package is part of a range of preventative measures to reduce youth crime.

"It includes specialist help for those with severe problems, more Police Youth Aid workers, continued funding to Child, Youth and Family for its long-term strategy to reduce serious and persistent re-offending by young people, and extra funding for family group conferences.

"Many of these programmes directly impact on young Maori and Pacific people," said the Ministers.

Child Youth and Family Services [CYF], the Police, and the Department for Courts all contribute to the package that is a mix of new and reconfirmed funding.

Over the next four years, spending on the package totals $93 million.

Key features of the package include:

Child, Youth and Family

• Wraparound Programme - intensive and individualised community-based care for 100 young people in South Auckland who have multiple problems, such as a history of offending as well as health, mental health, drug and alcohol or educational problems.
• Youth Services Strategy - confirmed funding for a strategy with a long-term focus on reducing serious and persistent re-offending and improving the lives of high risk youth. Funding includes running costs of specialist family homes, caregiver training, specialist day programmes, community-based rehabilitation, one-to-one caregiver services, community-based treatment programmes, and management support.
• Maori Community Initiatives for Youth At Risk - five varied programmes developed within Maori communities to reduce the number of Maori youth at risk of offending.
• Maori Youth Contestable Fund - a national contestable fund for initiatives by Maori communities and service providers to reduce Maori youth offending.
• Youth Horizons Trust - maintaining this specialist residential and therapeutic programme for 29 young people with diagnosed severe conduct disorder.
• CYF core services - the Youth Justice proportion of core services funding for frontline staff, call centre costs and administration of Social Workers in Schools, Community Liaison and Adoption Services.
• Family Group Conferences - extra funding for Youth Justice family group conference plans so at risk children can better access the required services and programmes.