Sir, Youth crime, from antisocial behaviour and joyriding to drunken binges or vandalism, is exercising politicians of all parties as they focus on how to deal with young people who have fallen into the criminal justice system.

However, the vast majority of young people do not commit offences and are more likely to be victims of crime than adults. And politicians are ignoring the poverty, exclusion, despair and loss that contribute to the behaviour of the minority who do offend.

In a survey of over 600 professionals working with young offenders, published this week, eight in ten said the politicians’ comments about youth crime had instilled an unnecessary fear of young people in the public. Nine out of ten said that the political debate was ignoring the underlying causes of young offenders’ behaviour, and 99 per cent believed that if children’s social problems were tackled earlier, crime would be reduced.

Despite this, more children are being locked up, and for longer, than ever before. Yet the millions we spend on incarcerating children is rewarded with reconviction rates of more than 80 per cent.

“Getting tough” simply doesn’t work.

Yours,
POLLY NEATE,
Editor,
PAUL CAVADINO,
(Chief Executive, Nacro),
FRANCES CROOK,
(Director, Howard League for Penal Reform),
KATHY EVANS,
(Director of Policy, The Children’s Society),
TONY HUNTER,
(President, Association of Directors of Social Services),
JULIET LYONS,
(Director, Prison Reform Trust),
GEOFF MONAGHAN,
(Chair, National Association for Youth Justice),
c/o Community Care magazine,
Quadrant House,
Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS.
comcare.election2005@rbi.co.uk
March 2.

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