Charity coalition urges review of prison sentences for young - Community Newswire

The Transition to Adulthood Alliance welcomed the Justice Select Committee's response on draft sentencing guidelines for young offenders, published today, which said it was vital that alternatives to prison were made available and that the use of remand for offenders aged 18-24 needed further scrutiny.

Shan Nicholas, deputy chair of the Transition to Adulthood Alliance, said: "We welcome the Justice Committee's recognition that the sentencing of offenders aged 18-24 is an important issue deserving further scrutiny, and are encouraged that the committee will consider how to pursue this further in its future work.

"While focusing on youth offenders, the report also cites the need to address the issue of how 18 to 24-year-olds are dealt with in the justice system, and whether a fresh focus on that specific age group is now needed.

"This is the elephant in the room for Britain's Justice System. This age group makes up over a quarter of the people behind bars in the UK and they are also the most likely to re-offend. We have to address the seemingly intractable cycle of crime and incarceration.

"The Transition to Adulthood Alliance believes diverting young adults away from custodial sentencing wherever possible is vital if we are to rehabilitate this marginalised group. In fact we are calling for a review of the entire practice of giving youth and young adult offenders short-term prison sentences, as it has been proven time and time again to be ineffective in stopping recidivism.

"The Justice Select Committee's report on sentencing guidelines for youth offending is yet another condemnation of the way we deal with youth and young adult offenders in Britain.

"The report acknowledges that custody does not work in cutting recidivism and recommends the expansion of effective alternatives - something the Transition to Adulthood Alliance has been consistently calling for."

The Justice Committee also stressed that courts should have access to information about a young offender's mental health, learning difficulties and communication problems, to ensure the most appropriate sentence could be imposed.

Mrs Nicholas added: "This is an absolutely critical recommendation; young adults in the criminal justice system are three times more likely to have a mental health problem than the general population and are eight to 10 times more likely to commit suicide."

Committee chairman Sir Alan Beith said: "We know that custody does not work to reduce reoffending, and that it does not have a deterrent effect on young people, because their crimes are usually opportunistic and impulsive, so it is vital that effective alternatives are available."

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "The Government's approach to youth crime seeks to prevent young people from turning to crime in the first place, but is clear that there are serious consequences for those that do offend.

"The Youth Rehabilitation Order, implemented in the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, will put in place a new sentencing framework for young people, emphasising rehabilitation and reparation, while at the same time providing rigorous alternatives to custody.

"The Government will consider the independent Sentencing Guidelines Council's consultation paper on sentencing for youths which will, when finalised, help judges and magistrates get on with the job in the most effective way."

The Transition to Adulthood Alliance is a broad coalition of organisations working to improve the opportunities and life chances of young people who are at risk of committing crime and falling into the criminal justice system. It includes Catch 22, the Prince's Trust, Nacro, Clinks and the Prison Reform Trust.