What do other organisations do?

Several agencies apart from the Youth Offending Service have clearly-defined statutory responsibilities within the youth justice system.

The role of Kent Police is to prevent crime, investigate it when it occurs and bring offenders to justice. They issue reprimands and final warnings to young offenders and instigate court proceedings for more serious or repeated offending. The police have seconded police officers to our area teams to work with high risk offenders and to support restorative justice processes.

Local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRP) include the police, local councils and other services involved in reducing crime. Their role is to analyse crime in their areas and produce and implement plans to reduce it. They play an important part in the ‘Deter Young Offenders’ initiative, which identifies high risk offenders and works intensively with them to prevent re-offending.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decides whether a case should go to court and then presents the case against the young person concerned. It is their job to present all the facts to enable the magistrate or judge to make a decision. The Crown Prosecution Service works closely with the police to gather all the available evidence to make the strongest possible case. The Crown Prosecution Service also has a role in conditional cautioning.

The Youth Court, a section of the magistrates' court, deals with almost all cases involving young people aged under 18. There are 7 youth courts in Kent which have the power to impose a range of sentences in the community or Detention and Training Orders for up to 24 months.

The Crown Court, which in Kent sits at Canterbury and Maidstone, deals with serious crimes committed by both adults and young people. These include cases that are too serious to be dealt with by the youth court and appeals against sentences given by the youth court. The youth court may also send offenders who have been found guilty to the Crown Court for sentencing, as it has wider sentencing powers including indeterminate sentences for offenders who pose the highest risk to the public.