Despite a reduction in the rate of youth offending and widespread calls to develop alternatives to custody for juvenile offenders, there has continued to be a rise in the number of young people sent to prison. The ten-year upward trend in juvenile custody that stalled in 2002, now seems to be rising again.
The reason is simple. The criminal justice system is still heavily dominated by a belief that custody works best, in spite of clear evidence to the contrary. More than 80 per cent of prisoners have been found to go on to reoffend; conclusive proof that prisons are failing to turn criminals into law-abiding citizens.
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