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The purpose of the Pre Court Procedures - Reprimand & Final Warning Programme is to prevent offending by children and young people at an early stage and to provide a progressive and meaningful response to offending behaviour ensuring appropriate and effective action to help prevent re- offending The key to the effectiveness is to ensure that the Youth Offending Team engages young offenders as early as possible in their criminal careers. The final warning programme is primarily aimed at the young person who commits minor offences and admits their involvement at the earliest stage. This is a programme designed for people who have not yet been sentenced by a court.

Assessment

The Youth Offending Team Police Officers will be responsible for the administration and delivery of the programme. After a young person has been reprimanded the YOT (Youth Offending Team) Police Officers will collate the appropriate information, this will then be input into the Youth Offending Information system. No other action will be initiated unless the Police make a referral to the Youth Offending Team over matters of concern.

After a young person has been given bail pending a final warning the YOT Police Officers will commence to determine the nature and need for a final warning programme. They will also check all databases to confirm that the young person's status regarding criminality and other systems intervention.

When the final warning has been administered the YOT Police Officers will provide the appropriate information for the Youth Offending Information system and engage the young person in the programme.

Operation of the Programme

The Youth Offending Police Officers will co-ordinate the young person's attendance at the programme sessions. These will take place on a weekly basis and content should involve a minimum of six hours direct programming and must be completed within three months from the administration of the warning.

The content of the programmes will vary depending on individual cases. The overriding objective is to prevent re-offending by addressing the cause of the young person's offending behaviour. The intensity of such programmes should be proportionate to the level of offending behaviour although the breadth of the programme may reflect the wider circumstances of the young person.

All young people give a final warning will be referred to the Bridges to Inclusion Mentoring Programme. This will be to re-enforce the rehabilitation programme and as a support to the young person and their family. This will assist them to achieve their goals and resist negative peer pressures.

The Youth Offending Team will oversee the delivery of the programme. The team may carry out some parts of the programme; other agencies may also be involved in the delivery.

Non Compliance

When a young offender is not complying with the terms of a final warning programme a decision should be made whether this is deliberate or not. Re- engagement is always the solution sort for. If the non-compliance is unreasonable and repeated the responsible officer should follow up with written warnings. In the event of a failure to complete the programme the Youth Offending Team will provide the information to the Police for recording. This information will be available to the court in the event of further criminal proceedings.

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