Case management and court orders

Referral orders are given to most 10 to 17 year olds pleading guilty on a first time conviction, unless the charge is serious enough to warrant custody.

After appearing in court, the young person is referred to a Youth Offender Panel (YOP), which considers the best course of action.

Youth Offender Panel

A Youth Offender Panel (YOP) consists of:

• two volunteers recruited directly from the local community
• one member of the Youth Offending Team (YOT)

They talk to the young person, the parents and where possible, the victim of the crime to agree a tailor-made contract aimed at putting things right.

The contract might include a letter of apology to the victim, removing graffiti or cleaning up estates and communities.

It will also include activities to prevent further offending, such as getting young people back into school and helping with alcohol or drug misuse.