How can young people be better supported and prepared for release?

As part of Beyond Youth Custody’s work to engage young people and get their voices heard, we spoke to young people to find out about their experiences of the transition from custody to community. Examples of their recommendations for what can be done to better support and prepare young people for release included:

• Getting the basics right – sorting out suitable accommodation and employment opportunities before young people are released
• Tailoring services to the individual – someone to take the time to sit down with a young person before they are released; to give them a chance to talk about their worries and make individual plans based on what young people say they need
• Using release on temporary licence (ROTL) – to get young people used to what to expect on release

The research was done to complement a BYC research report ‘Custody to community: how young people cope with release’, download a copy of the report here and accompanying guide for practitioner’s that offers examples of promising practice which may support practitioners in their work with young people here.

With thanks to the young people from the ADAPT project and the Young Advisors from U R BOSS who contributed to the research.