Graphic: girls and crime

Youth justice teams failed to meet any of their targets to cut reoffending rates for youngsters, according to figures published yesterday. In fact, the number of children aged 10-12 in custody was higher than expected.

More than 3,000 youngsters were in youth custody or other secure accommodation at any one time in the year to April 2007. At the same time the Youth Justice Board has had to cut the number of places at a child jail for persistent offenders.

Youth justice teams were supposed to cut the reoffending rates for those given a final warning or reprimand; a low-level punishment such as fines or reparation; community penalties; and youth custody.

The overall reoffending rate remained at just under 40 per cent — similar to the figure in 2002 — while the re-offending rate for those given community punishment and jail terms have remained stubbornly high at over 60 per cent since 2002.

The Youth Justice Board was forced to halve the number of places at Oakhill Secure Training Centre in Milton Keynes from 80 to 40 because of ongoing problems there. Ministers have ordered the private security company G4S to make improvements at the centre.

The issuing of a “rectification order” came two months after Anne Owers, chief inspector of jails, called for the temporary closure of Oakhill because of its “staggeringly high level of use of force by staff”.

In a further blow, Ellie Roy, the chief executive of Youth Justice Board, announced her departure from her post only 24 hours before the annual figures were published. A spokeswoman for the board denied that she had been ousted and said she was going to work in an unspecified role at the new UK Border Agency.

Overall the number of offences committed by young boys and girls has risen in the last three years to reach almost 300,000. Boys remain the biggest offenders, committing the overwhelming majority of crimes.

Although the Youth Justice Board was able to achieve a small reductions in reoffending rates for those given community and jail terms, it is dealing with perhaps the most difficult section of the offending population. Reoffending rates for youngsters are high often because teenagers are immature, impulsive and often come from unstable backgrounds.

The network of secure training centres were created to provide intensive support, education and training for the most prolific offenders.

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