§ 22. Mr. LintonWhat powers he intends to give to the proposed young offender teams; and if he will make a statement. [30360]
§ Mr. MichaelThe Crime and Disorder Bill places duties rather than powers on youth offending teams. The teams will co-ordinate youth justice services in their area. They will play a key role in working with young offenders in the community from the point of arrest to completion of sentence.
§ Mr. LintonDoes my hon. Friend agree that youth offending teams will have to work hard to re-establish the credibility of cautions, given that many young offenders receive up to six or seven cautions? Does he support the work of the Thames Valley police, who have turned the caution from a five-minute formality into something more like an hour-long ordeal in what they call restorative justice?
§ Mr. MichaelI certainly commend the actions of the Thames Valley police in encouraging young people who are being cautioned to understand the damage that they have done to others. The credibility of the caution system has been completely undermined in recent years. That is why we are replacing it with a final warning system. Not only will young people be told that their offending must stop but there will be intervention, action and community involvement for them and their families in order to stop their pattern of offending.