NCJ Number
165331
Date Published
1995
Length
18 pages
Annotation
These 1994 data on young offenders (ages 10-17) in England and Wales address their crime rates, offense characteristics, and sentencing.
Abstract
The number of young offenders known to have committed indictable offenses in England and Wales has decreased in recent years, although the 1994 total increased from the 1993 figure of 129,500. In 1994, 135,800 young offenders were cautioned or found guilty of indictable offenses. Of these, 103,400 were male and 32,400 were female. This compares with 206,800 young offenders cautioned or found guilty in 1984, a decrease of 34 percent. This decrease in the number of known young offenders over the last 10 years is only partly explained by the decline in the juvenile population. The 1994 figure for young adults (aged 18-20) known to have committed indictable offenses was 87,600; of these, 75,300 were male and 12,300 were female. This compares with 98,100 in 1984, a decline of 11 percent. In 1994, young offenders (aged 10-17) accounted for 26 percent of all known offenders, compared with 36 percent of all offenders 10 years earlier. In 1994, young adults composed 17 percent of all known offenders, compared with 17 percent in 1984. In 1994, of all the male juveniles aged 10-13 found guilty or cautioned for indictable offenses, 60 percent had committed offenses of theft or the handling of stolen goods. In 1994, 19,900 young males aged 10-13 were cautioned for indictable offenses; the figure for females was 9,100. The number of males aged 10-13 sentenced in 1994 for indictable offenses was 2,900. The most frequent disposition for male offenders of this age group was the discharge, followed by the attendance centre order, supervision orders, and fines. Approximately 300 females aged 10-13 were sentenced in 1994. The most frequent sentence was the discharge. Data are provided on custodial sentences and average sentence length for young offenders aged 18-20 within police force areas. 2 figures and 11 tables