The Government has failed in its attempt to combat youth offending

Stephen Metcalfe, Prospective Conservative Member of Parliament for South Basildon & East Thurrock has this week echoed the concerns highlighted in an independent audit of the Government’s youth justice reforms.

The report published by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at Kings College London reveals that that the Government’s wide ranging youth justice reforms have had no measurable impact on levels of self-reported youth offending. The report also highlights that far more children have been criminalised and imprisoned and that youth offending teams have struggled to meet the multiple social needs behind their offending.

Stephen said: “The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies has exposed this Government’s failure on combating youth-offending.

“Since 2000 spending on youth justice by the Youth Justice Board, and other agencies, has increased by 45percent in real terms. With the exception of probation, youth justice has received the largest increase of all the major criminal justice agencies.

“Despite this investment the Government has missed its own targets. In the words of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies: ‘all the expenditure and activity to reduce youth crime has had no measurable impact’.”

The full report can be read online at: http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/youthjusticeaudit.html