NCJ Number
135712
Date Published
Unknown
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Although some progress has been made in Great Britain to reduce the use of prison custody for young offenders, particularly those aged 10 to 16, the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NACRO) contends that more attention should be paid to extending the use of community sentencing and to reducing the use of custody for young adult offenders (17 to 20 year olds).
Abstract
Although one of the objectives of the 1969 Children and Young Persons Act was to reduce the use of residential care and Prison Service custody for juvenile offenders, the use of custody rose quite rapidly in the 1970's. Since 1980, however, the number of admissions into Prison Service custody for sentenced juveniles has decreased by 70 percent. Several factors are related to this reduction: demographics, changes in the sentencing framework, increased availability of alternatives, legislation, and a recognition of the limitations of a custodial response in terms of rehabilitation. NACRO makes several recommendations to expand the use of community based corrections for juveniles. The government should raise the minimum age at which an offender may be sentenced to detention to 16 from 15 and should consider proposals for ending institutionalization for offenders younger than 18 years. Mandatory sentences for juveniles should be restricted to those offenses which would carry a life sentence in an adult court. Local young offenders consultative committees should be established to review, plan, and monitor responses to youth crime and young offenders. 4 tables and 12 notes