Stephen Morgan MP has given his support towards the Government’s announcement of an overhaul of the youth justice system, which is set to keep Portsmouth’s street safer and stop more local young people from being drawn into crime.
- 8 in 10 prolific offenders begin offending as children, while 2/3 of children released from custody reoffend within a year
- Many of these children have already experienced violence, neglect, and exploitation
- Labour is modernising the youth justice system to break cycles, intervene earlier, respond faster, and target cutting crime.
The Government will be introducing new Youth Intervention Courts that bring together judges, youth justice services and specialist support to tackle the drivers of offending head-on, with intensive supervision and tailored interventions to keep young people on track.
Alongside this, Labour will be strengthening parental accountability by expanding Parenting Orders so that where parents refuse to engage, there are clear consequences and the support needed to address a child’s behaviour.
Supporting these measures is an investment of £45 million into early intervention through the Turnaround programme, reforming out-of-court resolutions, and ensuring the system is equipped to deal with modern risks like exploitation and online harm.
These announcement’s follow a Cuppa & Chat session hosted by Mr Morgan, where local people were able to share their personal experiences and concerns with local ASB and crime, with the feedback from the session being shared with colleagues in Westminster.
Commenting, Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South, said:
“Taking back Portsmouth’s streets, while protecting our city’s young people from being drawn into crime requires a fundamental shift in youth justice so the system intervenes early, consistently and effectively.
“These reforms will ensure young offenders get the support they need to turn their lives around while improving public safety.
“For many children, even a short spell inside can do lasting damage, disrupting the most formative years of their lives, and sometimes exposing them to more violence and criminal influence. As a result, balancing the protection of our streets with the best interests of young people is crucial.
“I will continue to back this Government’s wider missions of cutting crime, tackling knife crime and creating safer streets, to ensure that Portsmouth people are able to feel and be safe within their own city”.
