Figures issued by the Ministry of Justice show the number of sentences given to children and young people rose by 20.6 per cent, from 66,433 in 1996 to 80,136 in 2006.
In comparison, the number of 18-year-olds and above that were sentenced fell. In 1996 a total of 134,556 18- to 20-year-olds were sentenced, but by 2006 this number had dropped by 8.1 per cent to 123,660.
The number of sentences received by over-21s also declined, falling 3.3 per cent between 1996 and 2006.
Paul Cavadino, chief executive of crime reduction charity Nacro, said the rise in juvenile sentences was likely to be the result of policy changes. "There has been a large rise in the number of juveniles prosecuted, but that doesn't mean there has been a large increase in crime by young people," he said.
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