A PIONEERING bail support scheme has won national acclaim for its work in helping to divert teenage Bolton criminals away from a life of crime.

The scheme is designed to keep repeated offenders charged with crimes out of jail and give them an opportunity to turn their lives around.

The Children's Society's Greater Manchester Youth Bail Support project offers young criminals bail as an alternative to custody.

And in the short time between being granted bail and sentencing the project workers try to divert the teenagers away from a life of crime.

Today, Tough Justice, a Children's Society report into the scheme has hailed it a success, claiming that time spent in prison is damaging to a young person and increases their risk of reoffending.

The project was initiated in Bolton last April and in that time has dealt with 23 young people, aged 15 and 16 years.

The scheme targets youths with the most chance of being put into custody -- persistent reoffenders, or those who are accused of serious crimes.

Of the 23 who have embarked on the Youth Bail Support scheme, figures reveal only three have reoffended during bail. That, points out project leader, Pauline Ainsworth, does not necessarily mean that they have re-committed their crime, but perhaps broken a curfew order.

Pauline said: "Young people have numerous issues as to why they offend. This can be homelessness, drugs, or in the case of a large number, the fact that they are not in education.

"And once on our books we make sure we have a minimum of three contacts with them per week.

"Where necessary we get them back into education, find housing for them, or pave the way back into their family home. We give families the support they need. And if there is a problem with solvent or drug abuse, we get people into treatment.

"At the start youths tend to have the attitude 'who are you?', 'what can you do for me?' But afterwards every youth is interviewed and we have only had positive feedback -- not one negative comment so far."

When the youth appears in court a report is presented by the Bail Support worker highlighting any positive or good things done by the accused during their time out of custody.

Pauline said: "If there is nothing to report, we tell it as it is. But in 99 per cent of cases a lot of changes have been made to that person's lifestyle.

"Our research shows that prison simply churns out a better criminal. Some youths can spend 23 hours a day locked up in there. An awful lot are bullied, suffer self harm or even commit suicide. They then have to come out at some time -- and what have they done to change?

"We try to change their lives around. But while they spend time in prison, nothing changes, except the damage which may be done to them.

"This scheme is hard work, but it provides an awful lot of job satisfaction. I would not want to do anything else."

The positive report into the work undertaken by the Youth Bail Support project is backed by Sir David Ramsbotham, HM Inspector of Prisons. The report calls for the end of imprisonment of all 15 and 16-year-olds.