Triage

Triage:

  • gives young people the chance to put right the harm they have caused
  • helps to stop them getting into more trouble with the police

Triage is for some young people who:

  • have committed a criminal offence (they have done something against the law) for the first time
  • tell the police that they have committed the offence

What Triage involves

The young person must work with the Youth Offending Service (YOS).

He/she will have a triage officer. The officer will help the young person:

  • keep out of trouble with the Police
  • with other problems, eg school/college or work or with other people or with drugs

The young person will have to go to all appointments at the YOS - he/she will have 3-5 meetings. 

 The young person will work with the triage officer to think about:

  • why he/she committed the offence
  • the consequences (what happened after he/she committed the offence) for the young person and the victim(s)
  • ways that the young person can change their behaviour
  • take part in Restorative Justice (RJ). This is where he/she can meet the victim (the person who was affected by the offence committed) and say sorry. The victim can tell he/she how the offence has affected them. Sometimes, young people write a letter to the victim to say sorry 
  • do three hours of community reparation (voluntary work to pay back the community for harm that has been caused)

The young person has 28 days to complete their Triage.

Why a young person should do Triage

If the young person finishes Triage:

  • he/she will not have to go back to the police station
  • he/she will not have a criminal record

If the young person does not finish Triage he/she:

  • will have to go back to the police station on the date they have been given
  • may have to go to court so the judge can decide what happens
  • will have a criminal record

Who will know about the Triage?

If the young person is aged 16 years or under the YOS will tell his/her parents or carers

The Police will know that the young person about the Triage

What happens next?

The YOS will arrange an appointment for the young person to meet their triage officer.

The young person must telephone the YOS if they're unable to attend any appointment.