The number of under-18s in prison stands at about 2,000, having fallen from a peak of 3,175 in October 2002. But concerns have been raised that the economic climate, combined with cuts affecting youth justice services and related agencies, could lead to numbers rising again.
The survey of YOT managers in England and Wales reveals that 90 per cent have experienced cuts to funding, while 50 per cent said they believed cuts would lead to higher custody levels. Forty-one out of the total of 156 YOT managers responded.
Almost one in three (32 per cent) said spending cuts had resulted in less provision for community sentences that make up the youth rehabilitation order (YRO). The YRO, introduced by the Labour government, provides magistrates with a "menu" of community punishments to minimise the use of custody.
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