As of March this year, a total of 2,625 children aged under 18 were heldin the secure estate in England and Wales, according to Youth JusticeBoard statistics.
This represents the lowest level since December 2004. Meanwhile, thefigure including 18-year-olds currently stands at 2,816. This is down 15per cent on August 2007, when the secure estate reached full capacity,with 3,363 children and young people in custody.
Tim Bateman, senior policy development manager at crime reductioncharity Nacro, described the figures as "promising".
However, he added that it was too early to tell whether the numbersrepresented a genuine downward trend or if they were merely a blip.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
