Young offenders in Lincolnshire will be forced to clean up litter and graffiti under a new scheme being announced today.
Prime Minister Tony Blair unveiled the Community Payback initiative in a speech on improving quality of life for communities blighted by petty crime.
New punishments will be ad ministered by youth offending teams, which will have powers to deal with young criminals, who are usually first-time offenders, outside the court system.
Mr Blair also announced that police will receive extra powers to deal with abandoned cars left in roads and streets and to impose on-the-spot fines for crimes such as vandalism.
A few teams across the country, including Lincolnshire, have already employed "restorative justice" after the offender has committed a "victimless crime" such as vandalism, graffiti on public property or digging up plants in public parks. Their success has inspired Mr Blair to roll the scheme out across the country.
Under the current justice system, young criminals are sent to court and can face a number of different penalties such as fines, prison or Reparation Orders (ROs).
Lincolnshire has been recognised as one of the most successful centres operating the orders, which were introduced in June last year.
The Lincolnshire youth offending team enforces the orders on young people – which work in a similar way to the old Community Service Order, now called a Community Punishment Order.
Just over 200 offenders have completed ROs in Lincolnshire. Of these 88 per cent have not been reconvicted.
Under the scheme, the offender is punished for the crime by contributing to the community.
The new punishments will be managed by youth offending teams – set up last April – who will receive guidelines on the proposal, although head of the Lincolnshire team John Simkins, said: "The Reparation Orders have proved a very successful form of punishment.
"In our first year between 70 and 80 per cent of young people who have gone through the system have not been reconvicted."
The number of young people who are convicted of criminal offences in Lincolnshire has declined in the past four years.
In 1997, 2,000 young people were convicted. In 1998, it was 1,706. In 1999, it had dropped even further to 1,564.
Mr Simkins is convinced the trend will continue when the figures for 2000 are released later this year.
The announcement by the Prime Minister is one of a host of measures launched today aimed at tackling "grassroots issues".
The Community Payback scheme includes details of new powers to help police clear the streets of abandoned cars.
Currently, a week's notice must be given before removing the car to give the owner time to reclaim it.
There will also be new money for neighbourhood wardens and for initiatives to improve child safety.