Under new measures announced by Labour, every child in England and Wales caught carrying a knife will receive a mandatory tailored intervention plan designed to prevent reoffending.
As part of Labour’s commitment to halve knife crime within a decade, police will refer all youth knife possession cases to Youth Justice Services. These locally led teams — spanning health, education and community services — will develop targeted plans for each individual.
Interventions may include mentoring support to keep young people in education, social skills training and employability programmes. Failure to engage with the support offered could result in serious consequences, including further criminal charges or custodial sentences.
The reforms are backed by over £320 million in funding for Youth Justice Services over three years.
Labour says the approach combines accountability with early intervention to tackle the root causes of knife crime.
