Supervision > ISSP
What are the aims of the ISSP?
The Youth Justice Board invests approximately £60
million into 74
Intensive Supervision and Surveillance
Programmes (ISSP)
to deal with the most active repeat young offenders,
and those who commit the most serious crimes. Between
them the schemes cover all the Youth Offending
Services in England and Wales.
Sheffield ISSP aims to:
-
Reduce the frequency and seriousness of offending in the target group
-
Tackle the underlying needs of offenders which give rise to offending, with a particular emphasis on education and training
-
Provide reassurance to communities through close surveillance backed up by rigorous enforcement
What is ISSP?
ISSP is the most rigorous, non-custodial intervention
available for young offenders. As its name suggests,
it combines unprecedented levels of community-based
surveillance with a comprehensive sustained focus on
tackling the factors that contribute to the young
persons offending behaviour. Responsibility for
delivering ISSP rests with a dedicated team within
Sheffield Youth Offending Service.
ISSP can last for 6 months. The most intensive
supervision (approximately 25 hours per week) lasts
for the first 3 months of the programme. Following
this, the supervision continues at a reduced
intensity (a minimum of 5 hours per week and weekend
support) for a further 3 months. On completion of
ISSP the young person will continue to be supervised
at a reduced frequency for the remaining period of
their order.
Community Surveillance
- a key element of the programme is community
surveillance, which ensures the offenders themselves
are aware their behaviour is being closely monitored,
and brings some structure to their often-chaotic
lifestyles. The surveillance element also helps
demonstrate to the wider community that the behaviour
of these young people is being tackled.
The ISSP team will tailor individual packages of
surveillance to the risks posed by each offender,
using a mix of the following types of surveillance:
-
Tracking - undertaken by staff whose job it is to track the whereabouts of young offenders throughout the week, reinforcing participation in their supervision programme by accompanying them to appointments, providing support and advice, and following up any non-attendance.
-
Tagging - electronic monitoring of the young offender (for example to reinforce a night time curfew if that is when they are most at risk of offending).
-
Voice Verification - voice verification works by checking the voice print of the young offender over the telephone at times specified in a contact schedule, in order to confirm that they are where they are supposed to be. It therefore provides additional flexibility above and beyond traditional curfew approaches.
-
Intelligence-led policing - the police can provide overt monitoring of the movements of these young people at key times to reinforce the programme, as well as share information with the ISSP staff in the YOS.
The minimum requirement
is for two surveillance checks per day during the high
intensity phase.
Supervision
- the supervision element of the programme has the
following features:
-
Rigorous assessment of the offender’s background, behaviour and needs
-
Approximately 25 hours carefully programmed contact time each week for 3 months with support during weekends
Core elements covering:
-
Education and training (especially basic literacy and numeracy)
-
Interventions to tackle offending behaviour
-
Reparation to victims and/or the community
-
Assistance in developing interpersonal skills Family support
-
Family support
There is also the flexibility to
access support for individual problems, for example
homelessness, drug misuse or mental health problems.
Who is ISSP designed for?
The Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme
is targeted at 2 main groups of young offenders:
-
The small group of prolific young offenders (aged 10-17) whom Home Office research suggests commit approximately a quarter of all offences committed by young people.
-
Those young people who are not prolific offenders, but who commit crimes of a very serious nature and who would benefit from an early and intensive intervention.
ISSP is based on the
best evidence as to what will reduce the frequency and
seriousness of offending. It promises to bring some
structure to offender’s often-chaotic lifestyles,
while systematically addressing the key risk factors
contributing to their offending behaviour, such as
educational deficits, weaknesses in thinking skills or
drug misuse. For serious offenders who do not meet the
definition of persistent, it plans to address their
behaviour before they become habitual and persistent
offenders.
Who is eligible?
Young offenders are eligible for ISSP if they are
appearing in court charged or convicted of an offence,
and have previously been charged, warned or convicted
of offences committed on four or more separate dates
within the last 12 months and received at least 1
community or custodial penalty.
In addition young offenders can also qualify for ISSP
if they are at risk of custody because:
-
The current charge or sentence relates to an offence, which is sufficiently serious that an adult could be sentenced to 10 years or more
-
They have a history of repeat offending on bail and are at risk of a secure remand under section 130 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001.
