Labour continues to fail youth offenders

The Labour Government has failed in its promise to provide more support for programmes to cut youth offending, says National's Justice & Corrections spokesman, Simon Power.

"How else can you interpret their dismal failure to deliver on the Health and Education Assessments Programme for first-time offenders?"

The programme provides health and education assessments for youth offenders prior to family group conferences.

"In 2006/07, this programme was funded for assessments on 1,550 youth offenders, but only 41% were completed.

"They knew in 2004/05 that this pilot programme was struggling, but instead of going to the root of the problem and providing more support in the community, they rolled it out nationwide and increased the number of assessments funded – from 500, to 1,000, to 1,550.

"There have been serious flaws in the implementation from day 1. An evaluation report of the pilot, dated November 2005, found a litany of problems in the process, besides the low take-up of assessments, including:

*Family group conferences having to be delayed or repeated because referrals for assessments were being initiated at conferences instead of before them.
*Not enough qualified people available to undertake the assessments.
*Only one third of recommendations being fully reflected in FGC plans.
*Confusion among agencies as to whose responsibility it was to fund recommendations from the assessments (e.g. alternative education, counselling).
*A lack of appropriate services in the community to follow through on the recommendations.

"On its 2002 pledge card, Labour promised 'more support for proven programmes to cut youth offending', but since then violent youth crime has spiralled almost out of control.

"One of Labour's other key youth crime prevention programmes, the Reducing Youth Offending Programme (RYOP), has failed to reduce re-offending after three years and $12 million.

"Social Development Minister Ruth Dyson might like to explain why Labour has not done more to tackle this very concerning trend."


Answers to parliamentary questions

11804 (2007). Simon Power to the Associate Social Development & Employment Minister (4/07/2007) Further to her response to question for written answer 19161 (2006), how many education and health assessments was funding provided for in 2006/07?
Associate Social Development & Employment Minister Ruth Dyson replied: I can advise that funding was provided for 450 Education Assessments and 1,100 Health Assessments in the 2006/2007 financial year.

11801 (2007). Simon Power to the Associate Social Development & Employment Minister (4/07/2007) Further to her response to question for written answer 19161 (2006), how many young offenders received an education and health assessment in 2006/07, and how does this compare to the number of young offenders participating in their first family group conference within the trial areas?
Associate Social Development & Employment Minister Ruth Dyson replied: The Health and Education Assessment programme was rolled out nationally on 1 July 2006. I am advised that for the period July 2006 to December 2006, 259 Health and Education Assessments were completed by 179 eligible children and young people. Figures for the period January 2007 to June 2007 are still being finalised. I can advise that 555 assessments have been offered to 323 eligible children and young people over that time. This compares to 3,307 children and young people who participated in their first Family Group Conference over the period July 2006 to June 2007.

20203 (2007). Chester Borrows to the Associate Minister of Social Development & Employment (6/12/02): Further to her response to question for written answer 11801 (2007), are completion figures for January 2007 to July 2007 now available; if so, what are they?
Associate Social Development & Employment Minister Ruth Dyson replied: I am advised that for the period January 2007 to July 2007 inclusive, 385 Health and Education Assessments were completed.