Looking at employment - Nacro

ReviewsBYTIM BATEMANPOLICY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER INNACRO’S YOUTH CRIME SECTIONYoung people account for a around a quarter of knownoffenders. The Government’s commitment, expressed in theprovisions of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, to reform of theyouth justice system stems in large part from thedisproportionate impact on society of offending by this agegroup. In this context, it is not surprising that there has been anincreasing emphasis on ‘what works’: ensuring that interventionwith young offenders is consistent with the growing body ofresearch evidence about what characteristics of programmes aresuccessful in reducing offending behaviour. Both these newpublications from the Institute for the Study and Treatment ofDelinquency are welcome additions to the armoury of thoseconcerned with the creation of a safer society through effectivework with young people in trouble.The ISTD Handbook of CommunityProgrammes 2nd Editionedited and compiled by Carol MartinThe ISTD Handbook of CommunityProgrammes is an updated and greatlyexpanded edition of a work firstpublished in 1997. Unlike itspredecessor, it includes informationabout Scotland and Northern Ireland. Thenew edition also differs from the earlierone by inclusion of some programmesaimed solely at adults, although those aimed at youngoffenders still predominate. In essence, the book provides acollation of information on what is happening in the field ofcommunity interventions with offenders. Programmes areclassified as general or specialist - with the latter broken downinto 23 different types - and are cross referenced wherenecessary. The indexes list projects both alphabetically andgeographically so that it is possible to gain an overview ofwhat is available in a particular area. Data includes theprogramme’s aims and objectives, critical components, targetgroup, referral criteria, whether it might be replicatedelsewhere and so on.If the book has weaknesses, these are unavoidable given itsnature. Firstly, inclusion is dependent on information returnsfrom the programme provider: it seems unlikely, forexample, that there is only a single project in Leicestershire.Secondly, information of this kind inevitably dates fairlyrapidly. Rather than a criticism of the project, however, thissimply points to the need for regular updating andexpansion. The directory is, in fact, an invaluable tool forpractitioners looking to refer to a particular type of resourceor for agencies wanting to research relevant experiencebefore establishing their own programme. The book is alsouseful as an indicator of trends: this edition, for example,includes a new specialist section for programmes onparenting skills. It highlights too how few programmes areproperly evaluated and, in this context, its companionvolume ‘A Guide to Setting up and Evaluating Programmesfor Young Offenders’ is an ideal complementary resource forpotential providers.NACRO SAFER SOCIETY MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 1999 28A Guide to Setting up andEvaluating Programmes forYoung OffendersSimon MerringtonSimon Merrington’sintroductory guide to theprinciples of goodprogramme design moves ina logical progression throughthe key elements: from the importance ofgrounding a programme in theory, throughdefining aims and a target group, programmestructure, management and funding, staffing,programme delivery and concluding withmonitoring and evaluation. Significantly,perhaps, the last topic provides the subjectmatter for by far the longest chapter.The author starts from three common reasonsfor programme failure: inadequacy of theory, ofimplementation and of evaluation. Theremainder of the book consists of a practicalmanual for avoiding such failure. For example,the section on targeting: outlines the predictors identified by the AuditCommission - inadequate parenting, truancy,delinquent peers, unstable living conditions,unemployment, substance misuse and so on restates the ‘what works’ principle thatintensive intervention is more successful withhigh-risk offenders considers various measures for assessing risk addresses factors such as age, gender andethnicity and focusing on specific offences and discusses the implications of the abovefor ensuring a large enough target group andsufficient homogeneity of group members.Other chapters are equally well structured andprovide ample references to further researchand instances of good practice, including actualexamples of assessment and evaluation toolsalready in use.Obviously no guide can guarantee programmesuccess and indeed the author devotes somespace both to the importance of ‘worker style’and the possibility that evaluation may showthat aims have not been met. However, theprinciples outlined in the book are ones worthyof consideration by all practitioners within theyouth justice field when contemplating theimplications of their new statutory duty to worktowards the reduction of offending behaviour byyoung people.‘The ISTD Handbook of Community Programmes’ and ‘A Guide to Setting up and Evaluating Programmes for Young Offenders’are available from the ISTD, priced £17.00 and £11.50 respectively.