Page 35 - JUSTICE Tackling Racial Injustice - Children and the Youth Justice System

2.29 A number of police forces have already adopted this approach; for example,
schemes such as ‘Checkpoint’ in Durham, ‘The Drug Education Programme’
in Avon and Somerset, and the Youth Drug Diversion Scheme in the Thames
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Valley. A similar scheme has also been announced in the West Midlands.
These aim to prevent reoffending and have been found to have positive results.
For instance, we understand that the large majority of children diverted by
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Young Hackney do not re-enter the justice system. However, these schemes
are not in every police force area and, as such, remain a postcode lottery.
Moreover, simply copying these schemes is not enough. Forces wishing to
implement similar schemes must make sure they are designed to meet the
specific needs of the people in their area, with appropriate levels of
transparency so as to garner confidence in diversion-related decisions (see
Chapter 3 below).

Checkpoint

Checkpoint was established by Durham Constabulary in 2015. It aims to
reduce the number of victims of crime through an innovative scheme to reduce
reoffending. It does this through a four-month programme in which the
individual who committed the crime is able to tackle underlying issues such as
alcohol or drug misuse or mental health issues. Through this programme, the
scheme aims to improve the life chances of participants.
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Individuals who successfully complete the programme are not charged.
However, if they fail to do so, a decision to charge and prosecute is likely. Of
those who agree to the programme, 90% successfully complete it. Moreover,
those who participate in the programme have lower reoffending rates (13.3%

92 Thames Valley Police ‘Youth Drug Diversion Scheme to be rolled out forcewide – Thames Valley’
13 October 2020.
93 West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, ‘Police Commissioner funds new scheme to break
the cycle of drug crime’, October 2020.

94 Young Hackney is part of Hackney’s Children and Young People Service, who work alongside the
“Youth Justice service and in Children’s Social Care to offer young people support when they most need
it”. See ‘About’, Young Hackney.
95 ‘Checkpoint’, Durham Constabulary.

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