David Lammy has promised to reduce the number of children held in custody while awaiting trial by a quarter, as part of a major overhaul of youth justice rules. The justice secretary's white paper, due to be published on Monday, also proposes ending lifelong criminal records for under-18s.
Lammy, who grew up in Tottenham in the 1980s, said prison was his greatest fear as a child and argued that custody can cause lasting damage to young people. The Ministry of Justice will also consult on fining or jailing parents who fail to prevent their children from offending.
Under the plans, an extra £15m a year will be spent on teams to support children at risk of offending, such as those given antisocial behaviour orders. Lammy aims to cut custodial remand for under-18s by 25% by the end of parliament, with a view to ending it entirely, and will allow judges to impose a wider range of community sentences.
Officials say these measures should reduce the number of young people in prison by 20%. The white paper also proposes a new offence of child criminal exploitation, targeting adults who encourage children to commit crimes, and pilots of 'youth intervention courts' where judges and support workers create tailored plans for young offenders.
A consultation will consider whether childhood offences should remain on criminal records for life. Lammy said a mistake made at 13 should not become a 'life sentence of closed doors and lost chances'. Ministry of Justice figures show 80% of prolific offenders committed their first crime as a child, and two-thirds of those released from custody reoffend within a year.
