Children in public law system more likely to offend
Young people involved in family court proceedings are three times more likely to get caught up in the criminal justice system, according to research.
A study by the Ministry of Justice has shown that young people who were in contact with the public law system aged 10–17 were 2.9 times more likely to have offended between [...]
Safety of children in custody needs to be prioritised, says LGA
The Local Government Association is urging the government to prioritise the safety of children in custody.
A damning report from the HM Inspector of Prisons earlier this year found that not a single establishment inspected in England and Wales was safe to hold young people.
The chief inspector slammed the speed of decline as “staggering” and issued [...]
Children in youth custody rises
The number of young people being held in youth custody has risen for the first time in nine years, according to government statistics.
There were 909 young people under 18 in youth custody in April this year – an increase of 5.9% from the 858 young people incarcerated the previous month in March.
The figures show that [...]
Looked-after children over-represented in criminal justice system
The over-representation of looked after children in the youth justice system has to be challenged and changed, an independent review led by Lord Laming has stated.
Around half of the children currently in custody in England and Wales have been in care at some point, the Prison Reform Trust review found. The review was established [...]
