Knives linked to rise in custody

A surge in young people carrying and using knives could be a factor in the recent rise in the numbers of under-18s being detained in custody, youth justice experts say.

Statistics from the Youth Justice Board for April show the number of young people held in custody was 909, three more than the 906 recorded in April 2016 (see graphics). This represents the first year-on-year rise in youth custody figures since August 2008. It is also a 5.9 per cent rise on the 858 young people in custody in March.

Meanwhile, the most recent Ministry of Justice statistics reveal a rise in the number of under-18s given custodial sentences for knife possession offences in the first three months of 2017. The data shows that 151 young people received immediate custody, compared with 115 in the fourth quarter of 2016. The rise meant the proportion of under-18s receiving custody for knife possession offences increased from 11 to 13 per cent over that timescale, while the proportion receiving a reprimand, warning or youth caution fell from 31 to 28 per cent. This continues a long-term trend that, since 2013, has seen the use of custody rise and cautions fall (see graphic).