Youth reoffending rates hit new high

Latest Ministry of Justice statistics show that of the 49,369 10- to 17-year-olds who were either cautioned, or handed a community or custodial sentence between July 2012 and June 2013, a total of 18,090 went on to reoffend within 12 months – a rate of 36.6 per cent.

That represents a 1.3 percentage point increase on the 35.3 per cent who reoffended after committing an offence between July 2012 and June 2013.

It is the highest level recorded since most recent records began in 2002.

The MoJ said the “slight increase” was mainly driven by an increase in the reoffending rate for 15- to 17-year-olds.

“The total number of juvenile offenders in the cohort has fallen by around 64 per cent, with particular reductions among those with no previous offences and those receiving a reprimand or final warning,” the statistical release states.

“Due to this, juvenile offenders are, on balance, more difficult to work with.”

Meanwhile reoffending rates for young people leaving custody are also on the rise.

The MoJ statistics show that of around 1,500 under-18s who were released from custody between July 2012 and June 2013, around 1,000 (68.5 per cent) reoffended within 12 months.

This represents an increase of 1.2 percentage points compared with the previous 12 months, although the rate has fallen by 6.3 percentage points since 2002.

The rises come despite a number of steps being taken to drive down reoffending rates.

The Youth Justice Board is trialling employer forums in London and Greater Manchester, in what is being called the Turn Around to Work initiative.

Last year the YJB launched a “reoffending toolkit” for youth offending teams (YOTs) so they can analyse in depth offenders' behaviour in an attempt to prevent further offences being committed.