Crime site aiming to collar youngsters

A pioneering Web site has been set up which aims to make young people more aware of the criminal justice system and give advice about the law to youth workers.

Rizer has been developed by the Nottingham-based National Centre for Citizenship and the Law, and was funded by 1.1 million from the government's 'Invest to save' initiative.

The site contains information about the criminal justice system, case studies of young people's experiences of crime, and offers a free helpline telephone number, e-mail and text messaging service for young people to get advice.

It is designed in an accessible and youth-orientated style, and intends to explain the criminal justice system to young people, and dispel several common urban myths about the law.

Adrian Driver, head of criminal law at Newark firm Tallents Godfrey, helped develop the site's editorial content.

He said: 'The aim of the site was two-fold: we wanted to help young people understand the criminal justice system and realise what the real consequences of their actions would be.

We also wanted to give legal advisers such as social workers, youth workers or teachers a good basis to explain to young people what will happen next in the criminal justice system.'

LINKS: www.rizer.co.uk

Victoria MacCallum