Child criminals ‘set up to fail’ on release

CHILD criminals are being “set up to fail” on release from custody as there is inadequate support in place to help them turn their life around, according to inspectors.

The probation and prison watchdogs reviewed the support boys aged 12 to 17 received from services in the three months after release. They followed 50 who had committed serious crimes or were repeat offenders and been sentenced to detention and training orders, which meant they served half their time in custody and half in the community. In the three months after release half had been investigated by police, 10 had been convicted of more crimes and six had gone missing.

Those who had reformed were “the exception rather than the rule”, inspectors said.

Richard Garside, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies director, calling for the number of children sent to prison to be reduced, said: “On just about every measure – housing, education and training, physical and mental health, drug and alcohol services, social services – the state is failing children and young people leaving prison. Unsurprisingly, many of them get into further trouble with the law and go back to prison.”

Chief inspector of probation Justin Russell called on the government to come up with an accommodation strategy for young people coming out of care.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said they were reviewing resettlement services at young offenders institutions and working with agencies which provide accommodation, education, training and employment to improve support on release.