NCJ Number
87991
Date Published
1981
Length
104 pages
Annotation
The report presents proposals of the Parliamentary All-Party Penal Affairs Group relating to the policy and practice concerning young offenders in Great Britain.
Abstract
In Great Britain, the rate of recorded crime among juveniles under the age of 17 is very much higher than for any other age group. Thereafter, the crime rates decline steadily, indicating that most offenders leave delinquency behind as they grow older. The proposals are designed to ensure that the trend towards the increasing institutionalization of juvenile offenders is reversed, and that an increasing proportion of both juvenile and young adult offenders are dealt with in the community; that the system of police cautioning is supported, extended, and made more consistent; and that a comprehensive range of alternatives to custody, such as professional fostering schemes, be used. It is also recommended that the courts' confidence in supervision in the community be encouraged, and that custodial regimes be made as constructive as possible. Specifically, formal cautions by police should not be administered where there is insufficient evidence for prosecution. The use of the caution should be sanctioned in legislation, and attention should be given to achieving greater consistency in cautioning practice throughout the country. Before imposing an intermediate treatment requirement, the court should be satisfied that the program proposed by the social worker or probation officer is appropriate. Placing offenders in establishments near their homes should receive a high priority in decisions concerning the allocation of offenders between youth custody centers. The decision to recall a young offender to a penal establishment should be made by the court. Tabular data and a list of organizations that supplied report information are appended.