Call for looked-after children to avoid criminal justice system

A briefing published by the Prison Reform Trust this week sets out a 12-point plan on how to reduce the number of young people jailed.

The document, Criminal Damage: Why We Should Lock Up Fewer Children, says detention should only be used for under-18s who have committed serious violent crimes and who pose a serious physical threat to their communities.

It urges local authorities to do more to prevent looked-after young people from entering custody.

"More than 70 per cent of young offenders have a history of being in care or social services involvement," the briefing states.

"There is evidence that the wrongdoing of looked-after children is often processed through the criminal justice system when it could be dealt with in a care setting using restorative justice techniques. Ensure all authorities set up protocols with police and residential home staff. Local authorities need to analyse why looked-after children are involved in serious offending and address gaps in their care."

The trust also calls for an end to punishing breaches of community orders by locking up young people. It said that, in March 2007, 12 per cent of young people in custody were jailed for breaches of community orders. Introducing a graduated response to breaches and a rewards-and-incentives scheme for compliances would reduce the custody numbers.

Penelope Gibbs, director of the trust's strategy to reduce youth imprisonment, said she hoped the plan would point policy makers in the right direction.

"We all agree that we'd rather not be where we are in terms of custody numbers but there's light at the end of the tunnel," she said.

"Things can be done that won't do what people fear, which is letting children who are a risk to others be free to walk the streets," she added.

- www.cypnow.co.uk/doc.