Get Involved
Youth offender panels
Volunteers are needed to join youth offender panels across the country. If you become a panel member you will be joining the thousands of volunteers who are already seeing their efforts pay off to tackle crime in their area.
For more information read below, see our frequently asked questions and read what panel members think about their role.
If you are an employer who would like to know more about your staff becoming panel members, see our page on employers and youth offender panels.
What are they?
Youth offender panels are a ground-breaking way of dealing with young people who commit crime. They provide an opportunity for young people to speak for themselves, rather than through representation, and to take responsibility for their actions.
A young person will attend a panel meeting if they have been given a Referral Order by a court. Referral Orders are given to most ten to 17-year-olds, who plead guilty on a first-time conviction, unless the charge is serious enough to warrant custody.
A Youth Offender Panel consists of two volunteers recruited directly from the local community, alongside one member of the youth offending team (YOT). The panel will meet with the young person and their parents or guardians to talk about the reasons for the offending behaviour and to agree a tailor-made contract aimed at putting things right. The victim is encouraged to attend the meeting to tell the young person how the crime affected them.
The contract may include a letter of apology to the victim, removing graffiti or cleaning up estates and communities. It will also include activities to prevent further offending, such as getting young people back into school and help with alcohol or drug misuse.
The contract is supervised by the YOT and reviewed at regular panel meetings. The conviction is "spent" when the order is successfully completed. If the young person fails to comply, the case is sent back to court and a different sentence may be given.
Youth offender panels give the community a say in creating effective programmes that ensure young people who offend repair the harm done and are given positive help to prevent further offending.
You can do it
Being a panel member is a challenging yet rewarding role. If you want to see less crime in your community, this is the perfect opportunity to get actively involved. It makes no difference where you come from or what you do, as long you are over 18 years old and are willing to make a difference in your community.
To become a panel member, contact your local YOT.