Community sentences could save 60m a year
Joe Lepper
Monday, March 1, 2010
Handing non-violent young offenders community rather than custodial sentences would save 60m a year and cut re-offending rates, according to a report by the New Economics Foundation (NEF).
The NEF report, Punishing Costs, estimates that the average yearly cost of keeping a young offender in custody is £100,000 a year.
The report argues that community based sentences would not only save money but would also be more effective in reducing repeat offending.
Aleksi Knuutila, the NEF researcher who wrote the report, said: "Prison costs the public purse about six times more than sending a child to Eton.
"All the research shows that prison is failing to rehabilitate offenders and isn't steering them away from crime. At a time when public services are being cut everywhere, we need to ask whether our spending is really delivering on safety in our neighbourhoods."
The report also points to Barnardo's research that eight out of 10 12- to 14-year-olds in custody in England and Wales committed non-violent offences.
In addition to the annual cost of keeping a young person in custody the NEF estimates that custodial sentencing costs taxpayers an extra £40,000 per young offender due to the increased likelihood of unemployment and re-offending.
