Part III Criminal justice system

Youth justice

I1C141 The Youth Justice Board.

1

There shall be a body corporate to be known as the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (“the Board”).

2

The Board shall not be regarded as the servant or agent of the Crown or as enjoying any status, immunity or privilege of the Crown; and the Board’s property shall not be regarded as property of, or held on behalf of, the Crown.

3

The Board shall consist of 10, 11 or 12 members appointed by the Secretary of State.

4

The members of the Board shall include persons who appear to the Secretary of State to have extensive recent experience of the youth justice system.

5

The Board shall have the following functions, namely—

a

to monitor the operation of the youth justice system and the provision of youth justice services;

b

to advise the Secretary of State on the following matters, namely—

i

the operation of that system and the provision of such services;

ii

how the principal aim of that system might most effectively be pursued;

iii

the content of any national standards he may see fit to set with respect to the provision of such services, or the accommodation in which children and young persons are kept in custody; and

iv

the steps that might be taken to prevent offending by children and young persons;

c

to monitor the extent to which that aim is being achieved and any such standards met;

d

for the purposes of paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) above, to obtain information from relevant authorities;

e

to publish information so obtained;

f

to identify, to make known and to promote good practice in the following matters, namely—

i

the operation of the youth justice system and the provision of youth justice services;

ii

the prevention of offending by children and young persons; and

iii

working with children and young persons who are or are at risk of becoming offenders;

F20g

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h

F21... to commission research in connection with such practice.

F19ha

with the approval of the Secretary of State, to make grants to local authorities and other persons for the purposes of the operation of the youth justice system and the provision of youth justice services, subject to such conditions as the Board considers appropriate, including conditions as to repayment;

hb

to provide assistance to local authorities and other persons in connection with information technology systems and equipment used or to be used for the purposes of the operation of the youth justice system and the provision of youth justice services;

F1i

to enter into agreements for the provision of—

F2i

F3youth detention accommodation, within the meaning given by F25section 248 of the Sentencing Code , for the purpose of detaining persons subject to orders under section 100, 104(3)(a) or 105(2) of F26the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000, detention and training orders within the meaning given by section 233 of the Sentencing Code, orders under paragraph 3(2)(a) or 7(2) of Schedule 12 to that Code or orders under section 211 or 214 of the Armed Forces Act 2006;

ii

accommodation which is or may be used for the purpose of detaining persons sentenced under F27section 250, F33252A, 254 or 259 of the Sentencing Code, section 90 or 91 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 F23, section 226, 226B or 228 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 or section 209 F24 218, 221, 221A or 222 of the Armed Forces Act 2006;

F15iii

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

iv

accommodation which is or may be used for the purpose of detaining persons who are under the age of 18 when remanded in custody under section 128 of the 1980 Act;

F22v

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F22vi

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F4vii

accommodation referred to in paragraph 14(3) of Schedule 5A to the Policing and Crime Act 2009 which is or may be used for the purpose of detaining persons subject to a detention order under that Schedule;

but no agreement shall be made under this paragraph in relation to accommodation for persons who have attained the age of 18 unless it appears to the Board that it is expedient to enter into such an agreement for the operation of the youth justice system;

j

to facilitate arrangements between the Secretary of State and any person providing—

F5i

F6youth detention accommodation, within the meaning given by F28section 248 of the Sentencing Code, to be used for detaining a person in accordance with a determination under F29section 241(1) of that Code, paragraph 3(2)(a) or 7(2) of Schedule 12 to that Code, section 102(1), 104(3)(a) or 105(2) of F30the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 or section 214(3) of the Armed Forces Act 2006; or

ii

accommodation to be used for detaining a person in accordance with a direction by the Secretary of State under F31section 260 of the Sentencing Code or section 92 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 or a determination by the Secretary of State under section 210 or 218(3) of the Armed Forces Act 2006;

F7ja

at the request of the Secretary of State, to assist him in carrying out his functions in relation to the release of offenders detained in accommodation which is youth detention accommodation, within the meaning given by F32section 248(1) of the Sentencing Code;

F16k

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

l

annually—

i

to assess future demand for secure accommodation for remanded F8children and young persons and secure and other accommodation for sentenced children and young persons,

ii

to prepare a plan setting out how they intend to exercise, in the following three years, the functions described in paragraphs (i) and (k) above, and any function for the time being exercisable by the Board concurrently with the Secretary of State by virtue of subsection (6)(b) below which relates to securing the provision of such accommodation, and

iii

to submit the plan to the Secretary of State for approval.

6

The Secretary of State may by order—

a

amend subsection (5) above so as to add to, subtract from or alter any of the functions of the Board for the time being specified in that subsection; or

b

provide that any function of his which is exercisable in relation to the youth justice system shall be exercisable concurrently with the Board.

F96A

The power of the Secretary of State under subsection (6)(b) includes power—

a

to provide that, in relation to any function of his that is exercisable in respect of particular cases, the function is to be exercisable by the Board only—

i

where it proposes to exercise the function in a particular manner, or

ii

in respect of a class of case specified in the order, and

b

to make any supplementary, incidental or consequential provision (including provision for any enactment to apply subject to modifications).

7

In carrying out their functions, the Board shall comply with any directions given by the Secretary of State and act in accordance with any guidance given by him.

8

A relevant authority—

a

shall furnish to the Board any information required for the purposes of subsection (5)(a), (b) or (c) above; and

b

whenever so required by the Board, shall submit to the Board a report on such matters connected with the discharge of their duties under the foregoing provisions of this Part as may be specified in the requirement.

A requirement under paragraph (b) above may specify the form in which a report is to be given.

9

The Board may arrange, or require the relevant authority to arrange, for a report under subsection (8)(b) above to be published in such manner as appears to the Board to be appropriate.

10

In this section “relevant authority” means a local authority, a chief officer of police, a F10local policing body, a F11local probation boardF12a provider of probation servicesF13, F34an integrated care boardF17and a F14Local Health BoardF18....

11

Schedule 2 to this Act (which makes further provision with respect to the Board) shall have effect.