By Liam Roberts –

West Yorkshire Youth Commission calls for urgent reforms to support second chances and end stigma

For many young people in West Yorkshire, it already has. That’s the powerful message from the West Yorkshire Youth Commission’s (WYYC) latest report, which has spent the past year gathering voices from young people across the region, especially those with experience of the justice system.

Their message is loud and clear: too many are judged for their past, rather than supported towards a better future.

“If you make the wrong decisions early in life… it shouldn’t affect the rest of your life,” one participant shared.

What Young People Are Saying

Through peer-led research, the WYYC has amplified the voices of young people who feel trapped by stigma and overlooked by the very systems meant to help them.

They spoke of a world where schools, social services, and justice systems work in isolation, failing to offer joined-up support to prevent reoffending.

“It’s like no one’s talking to each other, and we get lost in between,” said another young contributor.

More Than Just Mistakes

Participants in the “Big Conversation” also pointed to deeper issues—family breakdown, poverty, and mental health struggles—that are often ignored in prevention programmes.

Instead of tackling the root causes, many young people are labelled, excluded, and left to navigate a complex world on their own.

What Needs to Change

Members of the WYYC are calling for urgent, practical reforms:

• Stronger collaboration between schools, services, and families

• Greater investment in training and employment opportunities

• Ending the stigma that blocks rehabilitation

• Creating an online hub to help young people access support and connect with services

“We don’t want sympathy. We want a chance to prove we’ve changed,” said one young voice.

From Punishment to Possibility

Crucially, the WYYC argues that young people must help shape the solutions. Their lived experience offers invaluable insight into what works—and what doesn’t.

The commission’s work is about shifting the narrative from punishment to possibility, reminding us all that a dark past should never eclipse a bright future.

A Call to Action

The time for listening is now. The time for action is long overdue.

Let’s back the vision of these young people. Let’s ensure our systems support second chances—and stop holding futures hostage to past mistakes.

To read the full report, visit the West Yorkshire Youth Commission Report 2024/25.