Number of children in custody drops by 73 per cent in a decade
Fiona Simpson
Monday, December 2, 2019
The number of children in custody has dropped by 73 per cent over the past decade, a new report shows.
The research by crime and justice specialists Crest says that in 2018 there were 4,208 fewer children in custody than in 2008.
This “historically unprecedented” decline is, in part, due to a drop in first-time entrants to the custody system, the report says.
The decline in children entering the system is “mainly down to changes at the pre-court phase, including the diversionary activity of YOTs (youth offending teams) and the police,” it adds.
A “more child-centred approach” within the youth justice system is hailed as “an important driver of the successes achieved by the youth justice system”.
However, it also states that “government failures to cash the gains” of a drop in custody numbers means that “outcomes for children held in custody today are worse than was the case a decade ago”.
The report says the government’s response to a decline in youth custody numbers “presents a missed opportunity to ensure a greater number of children are incarcerated in smaller, more localised institutions, rather than failing young offender institutions (YOIs).”
It adds that there has been little progress is reducing reoffending and improving custodial conditions.
In its recommendations, the report calls for the YOT model to be increased to cover young people up to the age of 25.
It also recommends the removal of youth magistrates' powers to hand out custodial sentences of less than six months to children and calls for the government review “the suitability of provision for all children held in secure accommodation”.
Police and crime commissioners and probation services should co-fund a community rehabilitation service aimed specifically at 18- to 25-year-olds “committing high-volume, low-harm offences, which would provide a more effective alternative to short prison sentences,” the report adds.
Anne Longfield, children’s commissioner for England, said: “A 73 per cent reduction in the number of children in prison is a good thing.
“However, the fact is that outcomes for children in custody are now worse than they were a decade ago – despite the far smaller number being held in secure units. This is inexcusable.
“It cannot be put down purely to the high needs and more serious offences of the cohort that remain behind bars. Far too much of the focus in custody is directed towards restrictive practices to manage symptoms of unmet need, and far too little is directed towards rehabilitation and addressing the root causes of offending behaviour.”
