The youth crime report examines and establishes programs to deal with youth crime, as well as setting out priorities for action. The proactive initiatives plan will help counter current and future problems, said Anne Sheffield, the Health department's director of family and children's services. The goal was to map out a strategy to create safer communities. We want different ways of preventing crime in the first place. Then, if a crime is committed, there has to be a more effective way of dealing with it to increase the personal responsibility of young people and their families.
Family services is involved in three of the initiatives.
This is consistent with the thinking these days that the earlier one intervenes the more effective the intervention is going to be. Many of the referrals will be court-ordered under terms of probation, she said. We're trying to prevent re-offending in these kids. These kids attend throughout the day and they have a specific schedule that they're following. The intent here not only is to watch what they're doing, but also to get them involved in doing things that will either help them get back into school or will help them find a job.