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New Challenges ahead for Youth Justice Agency – Maria Eagle (12/06/2007)

Criminal Justice Minister Maria Eagle has praised the work of the Youth Justice Agency and highlighted the challenges in the year ahead as she published its fifth Corporate and Business Plan today.

Launching the report, Maria Eagle, MP said: “The Youth Justice Agency has gone from strength to strength in recent years. It performs an important role in challenging young people to think of the consequences of their actions on their victim and on the wider community.

“The Agency has seen the development of a youth conferencing service that is a model of excellence across the world and this work will continue by further developing restorative practices throughout its services.

“Another key challenge is to divert young people away from offending in the first instance.  The Agency has developed a range of innovative schemes to help young people to stay away from crime and anti-social behaviour and it is vital that this work also continues.

“The progress the Agency has been made within a demanding and changing criminal justice system inNorthern Irelandis impressive. 

“It has set out a challenging new programme of work for the year ahead which will help address the needs of victims and at the same time help young people divert their energies away from criminal activity or from re-offending.”

Note to Editors

·       The Corporate Plan for 2007-2010 and Business Plan for 2007-2008 of the Youth Justice Agency of Northern Ireland was published on 12 June 2007;

·       The Agency will focus on six key business areas:-

·       The Business Plan for 2007-2008 contains nine Key Performance Targets as follows:-

  1. Contribute towards the delivery of the NIO PSA target to reduce the rate of reconviction by 5% compared to the predicted rate by April 2008.
  2. Achieve a 20% increase in the public awareness level of the Agency as measured by the Northern Ireland Omnibus Survey.
  3. Maintain an offender participation rate of at least 80% and a satisfaction rate of at least 70% in youth conferences.
  4. Maintain a victim participation rate of at least 60% and a satisfaction rate of at least 75% in youth conferences.
  5. Further develop and test a measurement system in order to establish baseline figures in relation to key outcomes, in line with the OFMDFM Ten Year Strategy for Children and Young People inNorthern Ireland.
  6. All new admissions have a risk assessment conducted within 24 hours.
  7. No high risk escapes from the Juvenile Justice Centre.
  8. At least 90% of young people remanded by the Courts to have a bail assessment completed within 7 days.
  9. Maintain expenditure within approved budgetary limits.

·       The Youth Justice Agency was launched as an Executive Agency, as recommended in the Criminal Justice Review, on 1 April 2003. It replaced the former Juvenile Justice Board, and is the fourth agency to be established within the Northern Ireland Office.

·       Further background details on the Youth Justice Agency can be obtained from the Agency’s website – www.youthjusticeagencyni.gov.uk

·       Copies of the Corporate Plan for 2007-2010 and Business Plan for 2007-2008 may be obtained as follows :-

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