Youth custody increase has not reduced crime

Frances Done, the new head of the Youth Justice Board, admits that the number of children in custody remains "stubbornly high" and welcomes new police priority targets for reducing first-time entrants into the youth justice system and re-offending among young people.

Liberal Democrat Justice spokesperson, David Howarth agreed:

"Frances Done is absolutely right. All the evidence shows that placing record numbers of young people behind bars has not reduced crime or reoffending.

"Of course there are some very dangerous young people who have to be detained, but a decade of ineffective rhetoric from Labour has left the criminal justice system dazed and confused."