Thousands of children ‘needlessly locked up’

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) said many detention centres were being used to care for children, adding that the youth justice system needed to be radically overhauled.

According to the think-tank’s report, there are some 5,000 children detained, with each place costing between £69,600 and £193,000. Three out of four child criminals commit offences within a year of being released.

The report claims young offenders institutions should not be forced to step in when council-run social services have failed to help a youngster, adding that in one case a child was held after he threw a bowl of Sugar Puffs over a care worker.

Instead, under-18s should only be imprisoned for the most serious crimes, with parents and teachers taking a “common- sense” approach and dealing with misdemeanours.

In the preface to the report, CSJ executive director Gavin Poole wrote: “Reform of the youth justice system needs to go further and deeper.

“This review by no means seeks to excuse the behaviour of these young people; no offender should ever be allowed to think they are immune from the law.

“However, if society wants to see youth crime tackled it must be prepared to make greater efforts to understand and address its drivers.”