A young friend has rapidly slipped off the yellow brick road and is now awaiting trial for a serious crime.

What can be done from outside the family to help?
Has anyone had any experience of this sort of thing; are there groups or other people to speak to about the future steps or rehabilitation?

Not had personal experience, but as an employer http://www.unlock.org.uk was useful.

When you say young, do you mean under 18?

Makes quite a difference if they’re juveniles AIUI

do you want to help the individual or the family?

first brush with the law?
likely custodial (months, years, decades
whats the family like?
whats the peer group like?

the official rehab/probation routes exist, but dont expect them to work miracles

the official rehab/probation routes barely exist, but dont expect them to work miracles

They’ve had their funding cut and cut and cut for years……

Thanks for the unlock link, I will take a look and pass on any useful info.

A bit more info
Under 18
Help for the individual and family is the idea
Not first brush with law but first offence.
Peer group is terrible

I’m not sure about the sentence, if convicted I’m assuming it could be a few years inside.

Is there anything the family should be doing to prove to the court they are taking this seriously, maybe something like a professional counsellor or mentor outside who can visit the individual
Would any of this help his sentence (as well as help get them back on the right track.)

A bit more info
Under 18
Help for the individual and family is the idea
Not first brush with law but first offence.
Peer group is terrible

Be a friend and be about as much as possible. My gf used to work with children’s charities and one of the things she did (and still does quite often as she’s still in touch with many of the families she used to work with) is just be around as much as possible when young people are in this situation. The people delivering the legal processes, even the ones that are supposed to be helping you, aren’t very good at talking to or listening to young people, and they’re not very good at clarifying whether someone has a complete understanding of the situation they are in.

My gf isn’t there because she’s a lawyer or has any legal training, she just knows how to talk to kids, and makes a fuss when others aren’t talking or listening to them.

Is he on remand or out on bail as that changes the possibilies?

Some of the people delivering the legal processes, even the ones that are supposed to be helping you, aren’t very good at talking to or listening to young people, and they’re not very good at clarifying whether someone has a complete understanding of the situation they are in.

FTFY.

My wife was a Young Offenders Team social worker for a number of years, and I know for a fact that the work she and her team did was instrumental in turning round the lives of a number of kids who were looking at a life of crime.

If you go into these things assuming that the people in charge of the process are only doing a tick-box exercise and treat them as such, you miss out on some very valuable knowledge and experience.

Remand.

My wife was a Young Offenders Team social worker for a number of years, and I know for a fact that the work she and her team did was instrumental in turning round the lives of a number of kids who were looking at a life of crime.

That sounds positive, does everyone get assigned a social worker as soon as they go in?
Would your wife have any advice for the help that she would have appreciated from family or outsiders

I was thinking there may be something ‘more’ that can be done rather than ignoring the good work people within the roles already do.
Completely in the dark to be honest so just trying to get as much info as possible at this stage.

FTFY.
My wife was a Young Offenders Team social worker for a number of years,

I was actually referring to the legal process and court system – courts and lawyers, not about support and guidance outside of that world.

Just as an example there was a kid we know that had got into trouble – involved in an assault in the sense of being present at it. There was a racial element in the sense that the victim was asian, but not in the sense that it was a racially motivated crime. However it did mean that nuances in anything the defendants were asked or answered were really quite important.

My partner turned up at the court and our pal was nowhere to be seen – he’d mixed up dates and had gone to the wrong appointment in the wrong place. She contacted him and got it him to get his arse over there, luckily there were delays to the case starting. In the mean time the defence lawyer rocks up – wheres the kid? – its explained that he’s on his way and explains theres a delay and the case will start late. ‘Oh thats lucky, I haven’t spoken to him yet anyway’. So the lawyer would perfectly happy for him to walk into court without any understanding of the processes and without the lawyer having any understanding of the defendants situation.

Later when the case was over – his lawyer didn’t even explain what the verdict was and that the kid was free to go.

Maccruskeen one very bad experience does make a rule.
Op lots can be done . at the very least support for the family and a good written reference for the court . Evidence that the defendant and his family are taking positive steps to change goes down very well.
Given the anonymous nature of the forum what is the nature of the crime and are their any drink or drugs issues?

hard to say as not enough info

Few years since i did YOT work though so dont expect my info to be up to speed

If remanded and he is under 18 it must be serious

OP I can’t offer much in terms of “professional help” but if you and your friend are able to talk then there is a communication channel open you can try and get them to buy into the seriousness of the situation, the fact that other “ways of life” exist and that help is available.

We had good friends (accountant and nurse so very respectable/normal) who’s two daughters got into drugs and associated criminality to the point one was in prison. They got one daughter back as it where, the other is still estranged If it’s a substance abuse issue you have to get them to recognise that and off it which probably meams a different social circle.

Good luck

He may need to read this. A real experience narrative by a friend of mine.

Prison on an L plate

Yep, very serious.
Thanks for the replies, all of those posts make good sense.

It is a serious offence so not really about getting him off as such but getting him moving forward as quickly as possible.
Thanks.

theocb – do you have an email address?

Yes Poly. Just popped it in my profile.

Spoke to my wife. We’re in Scotland now, but her experience was England. Things may have changed though.

England has the potential for a suspended sentence/punishment in the community as an alternative to custody. Depends how good the social services sentencing report writer is as to whether this is a possibility. As well as the nature/severity of the offence, obviously.

If custodial, there are workers within the various YOIs to assist the YP with the transition and ongoing rehabilitation, and the family can contact probation services for support.

There will also be local charities with people to speak to. NACRO (SACRO in Scotland) is one that springs to mind.