The crime-reduction charity's A Better Alternative: Reducing Child Imprisonment report found that the public could be convinced about community sentences, but states that youth offending teams (YOTs) must do more to promote them.
It also notes workers have lost their "crusading zeal" for community sentences. Chris Stanley, head of youth crime at Nacro, said: "The need to recommend custody now is very rare."
David Stonehouse, assistant secretary of the Association of Youth Offending Team Managers and head of youth offending services at Havering YOT, said: "All the YOT managers I know are committed to reducing the number of young people in custody and delivering the best intervention that we can."
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
