The Prison Reform Trust's unpublished research shows that areas with low numbers of children in custody use a variety of methods to keep children in the community. Custody panels are used in some successful areas, but not in all.
The most important factor in keeping custody low is for the youth offending teams to have a good but challenging relationship with their court. There is no evidence that availability of community options is a significant driver to high custody rates. The decision to imprison appears to be based on the attitudes of sentencers and the seriousness of the case.
Penelope Gibbs, director of strategy to reduce child and youth imprisonment, Prison Reform Trust
The importance of first aid
There's nothing worse than feeling helpless in the face of danger (CYP Now, 3-9 December, p24). But we often hear of stories where young people with first aid training take control while adults stand by without a clue. Their training teaches them how to save a life but also how to assess a situation, which gives them confidence as well as improving their teamwork skills.
We teach first aid as part of our youth programme but our young first aider package is available for schools or youth groups so they can also empower young people with these skills. We urge all youth workers to teach first aid - don't leave it until you need it.
Wendy Human, head of youth, St John Ambulance
Break the cycle of bullying
Beatbullying has long known that young people in care are frequently bullied, so we welcome the Children's Care Monitor 2009 in drawing attention to the problem (CYP Now, 3-9 December, p3).
Looked-after young people are among the most vulnerable in our society, their formative years blighted by a lack of security. All too often they come to expect no refuge at home, only to be victimised for this by their peers at school.
The government must help to break this cycle.
Emma-Jane Cross, chief executive, Beatbullying
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