Sentencing Act 2020

Youth offender contracts E+W

95 Duty of youth offending team to arrange initial meetings of panel E+W

(1) Where a court has made a referral order (or two or more associated referral orders), the specified youth offending team must arrange the first meeting of the youth offender panel established for the offender.

(2) The specified youth offending team must also arrange any further meeting of the panel that may be held under section 98(2)(b) (resuming consideration).

Commencement Information

I1 S. 95 in force at 1.12.2020 by S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2

96 Agreement of youth offender contract with offender E+W

(1) This section applies to—

(a) the first meeting of a youth offender panel established for an offender, and

(b) any further meeting of the panel held under section 98(2)(b) (resuming consideration).

(2) At the meeting the panel must seek to reach agreement with the offender on a programme of behaviour whose aim (or principal aim) is to prevent re-offending by the offender.

(3) Schedule 3 makes provision about the programme.

(4) Where a programme is agreed between the offender and the panel, the panel must produce a written record of the programme forthwith—

(a) in language capable of being readily understood by, or explained to, the offender,

(b) for signature by the offender, and

(c) for signature by a member of the panel on behalf of the panel.

(5) Once the record has been signed by the offender and on behalf of the panel—

(a) the terms of the programme, as set out in the record, take effect as the terms of a “youth offender contract” between the offender and the panel, and

(b) the panel must provide a copy of the record to the offender.

Commencement Information

I2 S. 96 in force at 1.12.2020 by S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2

97 Duration of compliance period E+W

(1) This section applies where a youth offender contract has taken effect between an offender and a youth offender panel.

(2) The compliance period begins with the day on which the youth offender contract takes effect.

(3) The length of the compliance period is—

(a) if the contract relates to a single referral order, the period specified in the order under section 86(1)(b);

(b) if the contract relates to two or more referral orders, the total period resulting from any direction of the court under section 88(4).

(4) Subsection (3) is subject to—

(a) any order under paragraph 9, 12 or 15 of Schedule 4 extending the length of the compliance period, and

(b) subsection (5).

(5) The compliance period expires on revocation of the referral order, or each of the referral orders, to which the youth offender contract relates.

Commencement Information

I3 S. 97 in force at 1.12.2020 by S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2

98 Failure to agree youth offender contract E+W

(1) This section applies to—

(a) the first meeting of a youth offender panel established for an offender, and

(b) any further meeting of the panel held under subsection (2)(b).

(2) The panel may—

(a) end the meeting without having reached agreement with the offender on an appropriate programme of behaviour, and

(b) resume consideration of the offender's case at a further meeting of the panel.

(3) But if, at the meeting, it appears to the panel that there is no prospect of reaching an agreement with the offender on an appropriate programme of behaviour within a reasonable period after the making of the referral order (or orders), the panel—

(a) may not consider the case at a further meeting under subsection (2)(b), and

(b) must instead refer the offender back to court.

(4) If, at the meeting, the panel and the offender reach agreement on an appropriate programme of behaviour, but—

(a) the offender does not sign the record produced under section 96(4)(b), and

(b) the offender's failure to do so appears to the panel to be unreasonable,

the panel must end the meeting and refer the offender back to court.

(5) In this section, “appropriate programme of behaviour” means a programme of behaviour of the kind mentioned in section 96(2).

Commencement Information

I4 S. 98 in force at 1.12.2020 by S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2

99 Arranging progress meetings E+W

(1) This section applies where a youth offender contract has taken effect.

(2) The specified youth offending team must arrange a meeting of the youth offender panel at any time during the compliance period (“a progress meeting”) if the panel requests it to do so under this section.

(3) The panel may request the specified youth offending team to arrange a progress meeting if it appears to the panel to be expedient to review—

(a) the offender's progress in implementing the programme of behaviour contained in the youth offender contract, or

(b) any other matter arising in connection with the contract.

(4) The panel must request the specified youth offending team to arrange a progress meeting if subsection (5) or (6) applies.

(5) This subsection applies where the offender has notified the panel that the offender wishes—

(a) the youth offender contract to be varied, or

(b) to be referred back to court with a view to the referral order (or orders) being revoked on account of a significant change in the offender's circumstances (such as being taken to live abroad) which makes compliance with the contract impractical.

(6) This subsection applies where it appears to the panel that the offender is in breach of the contract.

Commencement Information

I5 S. 99 in force at 1.12.2020 by S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2

100 Progress meetings: conduct E+W

(1) This section applies to any meeting of a youth offender panel arranged under section 99.

(2) At the meeting, the youth offender panel must do such of the following as it considers appropriate in the circumstances—

(a) review the offender's progress or any other matter referred to in section 99(3);

(b) discuss with the offender any breach of the youth offender contract which it appears to the panel that the offender has committed;

(c) consider any variation in the youth offender contract—

(i) sought by the offender, or

(ii) which appears to the panel expedient in the light of any such review or discussion;

(d) consider any request by the offender under section 99(5)(b) to be referred back to court.

(3) Where the youth offender panel has discussed with the offender any breach of the contract which it appears to the panel that the offender has committed, the panel may—

(a) agree with the offender that the offender is to continue to be required to comply with the contract (either in its original form or with any agreed variation of it) without being referred back to court, or

(b) end the meeting and refer the offender back to court.

(4) Where the panel and the offender agree a variation in the contract, the panel must produce a written record of the variation forthwith—

(a) in language capable of being readily understood by, or explained to, the offender,

(b) for signature by the offender, and

(c) for signature by a member of the panel on behalf of the panel.

(5) Once the record has been signed by the offender and on behalf of the panel—

(a) the variation in the contract takes effect, and

(b) the panel must provide a copy of the record to the offender.

(6) If at the meeting—

(a) the panel and the offender agree a variation in the contract,

(b) the offender does not sign the record produced under subsection (4), and

(c) the offender's failure to do so appears to the panel to be unreasonable,

the panel may end the meeting and refer the offender back to court.

(7) Schedule 3 (programme of behaviour) applies to what the contract, as varied under this section, may provide as it applies to a programme of behaviour agreed under section 96.

(8) Where the offender has requested under section 99(5)(b) to be referred back to court and the panel—

(a) has discussed the request with the offender, and

(b) is satisfied that there is (or is soon to be) a change in circumstances of the kind mentioned in that provision,

it may end the meeting and refer the offender back to court.

Commencement Information

I6 S. 100 in force at 1.12.2020 by S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2

101 Final meeting E+W

(1) This section applies where—

(a) a youth offender contract has taken effect between a youth offender panel and an offender, and

(b) the compliance period is due to expire.

(2) The specified youth offending team must arrange a meeting of the panel (“the final meeting”) to be held before the end of the compliance period.

(3) At the final meeting the panel must—

(a) review the extent of the offender's compliance to date with the youth offender contract,

(b) decide whether or not the offender's compliance with the contract justifies the conclusion that the offender will have satisfactorily completed the contract by the end of the compliance period, and

(c) give the offender written confirmation of its decision.

(4) A decision that the conclusion mentioned in subsection (3)(b) is justified—

(a) has the effect of discharging the referral order (or orders) as from the end of the compliance period, and

(b) can be made in the offender's absence.

(5) If the panel decides that that conclusion is not justified, it must refer the offender back to court.

(6) Nothing in section 92(3) permits the final meeting to be adjourned (or re-adjourned) to a time after the end of the compliance period.

Commencement Information

I7 S. 101 in force at 1.12.2020 by S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2