By Jaimie Kaffash
12 August 2009
MPs have criticised the growing numbers of under-14s put into custody and urged ministers to spend more money on community based punishments and preventative measures.
The Commons justice select committee’s report on youth sentencing – Overarching principles – was released today (August 12), the same day as a report from Barnardo’s children’s charity claimed that children were being locked up too quickly. The committee highlighted regional variations in how many children were sent to secure units, which had little relation to local youth crime patterns.
Sir Alan Beith, the committee chair, told Public Finance: ‘The different in judgements between the regions might reflect the availability of services in which the magistrates have confidence to provide good community sentences.’ He added that the gaps in the quality of youth sentencing facilities ‘need to be dealt with’.
It costs more than £30,000 to put a young person in custody, which is ‘not good in preventing them from reoffending’, he added. ‘If more of that money could be spent, not just on community sentencing, but on more measures that turn younger people away from crime – for example, measures helping children in care, children from disturbed families – in the long run, that money would be far more cost-effective and would reduce crime,’ he said.
Pam Hibbert, assistant policy director at Barnardo’s, echoed Leith’s views. She told PF:
‘There is evidence that good community sentences that help children change their behaviour are much more effective and of course not expensive. The 12–14-year-olds who go into custody, 80% of them will reoffend within a year of release. Even for those people who say “at least it gives their victims a break”, it is a very short respite and they will be back again. And it is very expensive.’
She said that since Labour came to power, the problem has become worse. ‘Before 1998, we could not send these children into custody unless they committed very grave offences (such as murder and sexual assault). In 1997, there were 130 12-14-year-olds who had committed serious crimes in custody. Last year, there were fewer than 100 who had committed grave crimes, yet we locked up more than 500,’ she added.
The charity also claimed that the true cost of keeping a youth in a local authority secure children’s home was £185,000, based on a 2004 National Audit Office report.
A spokeswoman for the Youth Justice Board, which oversees the youth justice system in England and Wales, said: ‘There are regional variations in sentences given to under-14s and we believe this is because of local resources. The YJB is trying to devolve custody to local authorities. Often, there is no appropriate accommodation for the young offender and the magistrate feels they need to send the offender into custody rather than giving them a robust community sentence.’
12 August 2009
MPs have criticised the growing numbers of under-14s put into custody and urged ministers to spend more money on community based punishments and preventative measures.
The Commons justice select committee’s report on youth sentencing – Overarching principles – was released today (August 12), the same day as a report from Barnardo’s children’s charity claimed that children were being locked up too quickly. The committee highlighted regional variations in how many children were sent to secure units, which had little relation to local youth crime patterns.
Sir Alan Beith, the committee chair, told Public Finance: ‘The different in judgements between the regions might reflect the availability of services in which the magistrates have confidence to provide good community sentences.’ He added that the gaps in the quality of youth sentencing facilities ‘need to be dealt with’.
It costs more than £30,000 to put a young person in custody, which is ‘not good in preventing them from reoffending’, he added. ‘If more of that money could be spent, not just on community sentencing, but on more measures that turn younger people away from crime – for example, measures helping children in care, children from disturbed families – in the long run, that money would be far more cost-effective and would reduce crime,’ he said.
Pam Hibbert, assistant policy director at Barnardo’s, echoed Leith’s views. She told PF:
‘There is evidence that good community sentences that help children change their behaviour are much more effective and of course not expensive. The 12–14-year-olds who go into custody, 80% of them will reoffend within a year of release. Even for those people who say “at least it gives their victims a break”, it is a very short respite and they will be back again. And it is very expensive.’
She said that since Labour came to power, the problem has become worse. ‘Before 1998, we could not send these children into custody unless they committed very grave offences (such as murder and sexual assault). In 1997, there were 130 12-14-year-olds who had committed serious crimes in custody. Last year, there were fewer than 100 who had committed grave crimes, yet we locked up more than 500,’ she added.
The charity also claimed that the true cost of keeping a youth in a local authority secure children’s home was £185,000, based on a 2004 National Audit Office report.
A spokeswoman for the Youth Justice Board, which oversees the youth justice system in England and Wales, said: ‘There are regional variations in sentences given to under-14s and we believe this is because of local resources. The YJB is trying to devolve custody to local authorities. Often, there is no appropriate accommodation for the young offender and the magistrate feels they need to send the offender into custody rather than giving them a robust community sentence.’
