YES - Tim Bateman, senior policy development officer, Nacro
The criminalisation of more young people is an unavoidable, although unintended, consequence of the target to increase the number of offences brought to justice. Although the target applies across the board, it will not change practice in cases that would result in prosecution anyway - it is only where police might have opted for an informal response that there is scope to improve performance outcomes. Inevitably, such cases will involve minor offences or perpetrators who might hitherto have benefited from police discretion - predominantly those with no previous offending, such as children, and girls in particular.
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