Speaking in Parliament last week, Kettering MP Philip Hollobone said: "Is it not possible to expose young prisoners, who are relatively few in number, to some sort of military discipline? I believe that if such a measure could be effectively applied at a young age it would help lower reoffending rates."
But prison groups said the idea could be counterproductive. Andrew Neilson, assistant director of public affairs and policy at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "We don't think forcing young people into doing things like military service would be any use. We would rather see the underlying causes of why young people get involved in crime be tackled."
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