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Children as young as 12 are being locked up too quickly, too easily
A Barnardo’s study of children aged 12, 13 and 14 years old who have served a custodial sentence, has found that more than a third of them should not have been put behind bars, when judged against the Government’s own criteria.
This is despite the Government’s clear intention that custody for children should be a last resort.
The law states children aged 14 and under should not be sent to custody unless they have committed a grave offence or have committed a serious offence and are deemed to be a persistent offender.
But Barnardo’s examination of the cases of 214 children - 46 per cent of those in this age group sent to custody in 2007/08 - found that more than a third did not meet this criterion but were still incarcerated. That suggests that 170 children in England and Wales should not have been put behind bars that year.
More than 20 per cent had been sent to custody for breaching a community order such as a supervision or anti social behaviour order.
For more information visit the Barnado's website.
This is despite the Government’s clear intention that custody for children should be a last resort.
The law states children aged 14 and under should not be sent to custody unless they have committed a grave offence or have committed a serious offence and are deemed to be a persistent offender.
But Barnardo’s examination of the cases of 214 children - 46 per cent of those in this age group sent to custody in 2007/08 - found that more than a third did not meet this criterion but were still incarcerated. That suggests that 170 children in England and Wales should not have been put behind bars that year.
More than 20 per cent had been sent to custody for breaching a community order such as a supervision or anti social behaviour order.
For more information visit the Barnado's website.
