The Joint Committee on Human Rights said the proposals in the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill to introduce youth rehabilitation orders do not do enough to make custody a last resort and fail to allow judges to consider the maturity of the child being sentenced.
In its review of the legislation, the committee warned the youth rehabilitation orders, which would set the terms of community sentences, could see young offenders being fast-tracked into prison because of tough rules on punishing those who breach the terms of the order.
The MPs said this problem would be further exacerbated by the bill's failure to allow judges to take into account a child's intellectual and emotional maturity.
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