Mark Johnson

In his latest Guardian column, published today, Mark explains how it’s personal communication that offers the best way for youth and social workers to make a real difference in the lives of youngsters branded by society as ‘offenders’:

“At a conference recently, I learned that the people who are supposed to be “managing” our offenders now spend up to 80% of their time in front of a computer. Too much passion and enthusiasm ends up channelled into an office, not with the people who need human contact.”

Read the full article at www.guardian.co.uk.

Mark’s latest article for The Guardian was published in April and can be read online at www.guardian.co.uk. In this piece, Mark talks about the very real need for the authorities to actively engage with young people in order to help them start solving their problems, and how a small amount of money spent on intervention and support at the right time could help save millions in social costs throughout the life of a troubled teen.

In two accompanying pieces, some of the teenagers that Mark introduced to Government officials at a Downing Street meeting share their impressions of the visit and young people from Birmingham describe their own harsh life experiences.