THERE was welcome news on Tuesday in the latest crime statistics which show that crime is at a 40-year low in Scotland.

Yet we all know that for too many communities violence continues to be a feature of daily life, and too many young people continue to become embroiled in violence that blights not just the lives of their victims, but narrows their own potential.

Despite these reported reduced levels of gang activity and violent crime in Glasgow, there remain communities with significant issues of territorialism and a culture of violence that we must challenge.

Includem is a specialist charity which works with some of Scotland's most troubled and challenging young people.

When life is a series of problems it can seem impossible for them to see any future at all - Includem sticks with that young person, no matter what.

One programme which we have been running in partnership with Police Scotland for four years is Includem IMPACT.

Evolving into a Public Social Partnership in 2013 it targets and engages the young people in Glasgow causing most harm in their communities, to reduce prolific, violent and often alcohol-related offending.

It aims to change their attitudes and behaviours, divert them away from becoming more entrenched in antisocial, violent and offending behaviours and prevent them being drawn into a cycle of custodial sentences.

This week an independent evaluation of the programme found that in the six-month period following our involvement with these young people recorded crime and offences fell by more than 33 per cent and the estimated social and economic costs of crime per young person fell by more than 50 per cent from approximately £56,000 to £27,000.

The cost of violent crime fell from £10,259 per young person to just £122.

These figures demonstrate that targeting intensive support before the need for a custodial sentence can turn young people around, reduce crime and keep our communities safer. At the same time, these interventions save money.

That alone should be enough to merit a serious rethink of the extent the justice system is driven by failure-demand.

But for me, it is the stories of the young people we work with - each one an individual in their own right - that show why it is not only cost-effective to intervene, it is life-changing.

One young person, Ryan, was 17 when he started working with Includem. He was involved in serious gang violence, offending and anti-social behaviour.

He was a risk to himself and to others and he wasn't in education, employment or training. His life was chaotic and he was restricted to the parts of Glasgow where it was safe for him to go.

Along with Police Scotland we knocked on his door and refused to give up until he realised we were serious about helping him.

After eight months of one-to-one support, at least three times a week, we dealt with conflict at home and his underlying drug, alcohol misuse and mental health issues.

When Ryan moved on from our service he was engaging in a training programme, was in stable accommodation and had not picked up any new charges.

For Ryan, working with Includem showed him he had a future - but that he had to be the architect of that future. We gave him a sense of hope and a way out of his offending behaviour.