Juvenile reoffending rates see sharp drop

Ministry of Justice statistics show the number of offences committed by former prisoners has dropped more sharply than the proportion who reoffend.

Between 2000 and 2005 the proportion of juvenile offenders who went on to reoffend fell from 40.2 per cent to 38.4 per cent, a drop of 4.4 per cent.

But the number of offences committed per 100 reoffenders fell by 17.4 per cent, from 151.4 to 125.

Another newly introduced measure - severity of offences - remained almost static with about 0.9 per 100 offenders committing the most serious offences.

Ellie Roy, chief executive of the Youth Justice Board, said the figures are positive and should allow further progress.

She added: "Reoffending rates for many groups of young people continue to fall, which reflects the effective work going on within local authorities, custody and the community."