Final Warning

Reprimand and final warning

If a child or young person is arrested and then accepts responsibility for a minor offence and it is the first time they have committed an offence, then they are likely to be given a Reprimand or a Final warning.

Reprimands and final warnings can only be given to children and young people  aged between 10 and 17, who have admitted that they have broken the law and then they can be offered support from the Youth Offending Team. If the child or young person denies the allegation against them they will be sent to court and prosecuted.

Reprimand

If the child or young person is given a reprimand, a police officer will talk to them about what they have done and will explain what will happen to them if they break the law again. They will remind the child or young person that by breaking the law they have hurt their victim and their own family.

The police will keep a record of the young person’s or child’s crime and the details will be passed on to the Youth Offending Team who will decide if further action should be taken. The Hackney Youth Offending Team does not have any responsibility for a child or young person who is given a reprimand, but does write to parents to make them aware of the resources and services available to support them and the child or young person.

Final warning

Final warnings were introduced to encourage young people to take responsibility for their criminal actions and to try to prevent them from committing further offences. Final warnings have replaced the old system of police cautions for young people.

Final warnings aim to:

• Prevent young people re-offending by ensuring that the young person is made aware of the consequences and impact of their criminal activity
• Allow the offender to take into account the wishes and feelings of the victims of their crimes
• Find out the circumstances for the offence and take steps to address the reasons that might mean a young person re-offends.

If a child or young person is given a Final Warning, the police will talk to them and record their crime in the same way they would for a reprimand. The child or young person is then automatically referred to the Youth Offending Team. The team then contacts the child’s parents within five days to arrange an interview to plan what action can be taken voluntarily to help ensure that the child abides by the law in the future. In most cases, the Youth Offending Team will decide what type of scheme the child needs to stop them committing any more crimes. This is the child or young person’s last chance to prevent an appearance in the Youth Court, and the Youth Offending Team will support the parents and the child as much as possible.

What parents and guardians can do to help

To help the child or young person as much as possible, parents and guardians need to:

• Attend all meetings along with the child or young person
• Encourage the child or young person to fully appreciate the consequences of their offences and behaviour
• Ensure that the child or young person successfully completes the scheme or activities assigned to them.

Prosecution

Reprimands and Final Warnings can only be given to children and young people who have admitted that they have broken the law. This means that if the child or young person is alleged to have committed an offence, but does not admit to it, then they cannot be given a Reprimand or a Final Warning. In these cases, the child or young person will be sent to court and prosecuted.

In cases where a young person or a child has received a Final Warning, they will go to court if they are arrested for a further offence within two years of the one for which they were given the Final Warning.

Prosecution means the case will be heard in the Youth court. If the court finds the child or young person guilty, they will be sentenced, after a report has been prepared by the Youth Offending Team regarding the young person's circumstances, and that of the offence, and proposing a suitable sentence. The child or young person will then have a criminal record.

In cases where the child or young person is prosecuted and convicted of a crime, the Hackney Youth Offending Team contacts the parents to arrange an interview to carefully explain the process and to provide parents with all the information and advice that they may need. This is only done when the child or young person’s sentence requires the involvement of the Hackney Youth Offending Team.

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Page updated: 28 Feb 2008