Call to cut UK youth custody rate
originally published:
3rd September 2009
UK authorities should mimic radical measures from overseas to cut youth crime and the number of children in prison, a report has urged. Canada and New York have cut high custody rates by “completely rethinking” their practice, the study by the Prison Reform Trust said.
The charity said there were 2,932 children on average imprisoned in England and Wales at any time in 2008. Director Juliet Lyon said: “It is all too easy to give up on children.”
She added: “Drawing on sound international evidence, this report shows that it is perfectly possible to cut youth crime and, at the same time, reduce the number of young people damaged by needless imprisonment.”
According to the report, the number of children sentenced to custody in England and Wales tripled between 1991 and 2006.
