News
Youth Justice Agency co-hosts conference on young people's communication needs (30/06/2009)
The Youth Justice Agency today co-hosted an important conference at Jordanstown in association with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).The conference, entitled “Locked up and locked out: communication is the key”, was attended by around 100 experts and practitioners from the RCSLT and the criminal justice, education, health and social care sectors to explore how the communication needs of young people within Northern Ireland’s criminal justice system can be better addressed.
Criminal Justice Minister Paul Goggins delivered the opening address to the conference where he commented that “failure to address the communication needs of young people can contribute to re-offending and the development of criminal lifestyles”. Evidence has shown that most young people who come into custody have endured communication difficulties, and this was the theme of the Minister’s speech.
Paul Goggins said: “Being able to communicate is an essential skill. It underpins every child’s development, yet evidence shows that the majority of young people who end up in custody have serious difficulties in speech and language.
“This can create real problems when it comes to police interviews and taking part in educational and offending programmes.
“Failure to address these issues can contribute to levels of reoffending and the development of a criminal lifestyle.
“A cross agency approach is essential in addressing these complex needs and providing sustainable support and guidance for young people and their families.”
A full report and associated action plan will be produced following the conference.
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