Category: young offenders

R (JL (by the Official Solicitor as litigation friend)) v. Secretary of State for the Home Department – WLR Daily

Posted August 8th, 2007 in human rights, law reports, suicide, young offenders by sally

R (JL (by the Official Solicitor as litigation friend)) v. Secretary of State for the Home Department  

“Where there had been a death or near death in custody the state was obliged to conduct an enhanced investigation commenced by a person independent of those implicated in the facts. If the investigator found that the state or its agents potentially bore responsibility and that it was not plain that they could bear no responsibility it would be necessary to hold a further inquiry in the nature of a public hearing in which the next of kin or injured person could play a part.”

WLR Daily, 24th July 2007

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Youth crime board is failing to meet targets, says report – The Guardian

Posted August 2nd, 2007 in news, young offenders by sally

“The Youth Justice Board, set up seven years ago by Labour to cut juvenile crime, has failed to hit any of its key performance targets in the past 12 months, according to its annual report.”

Full story

The Guardian, 2nd August 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk 

Three jailed for forcing man to fall 100ft to his death – The Guardian

Posted July 31st, 2007 in murder, news, sentencing, young offenders by sally

“A 17-year-old girl and her boyfriend were jailed yesterday for torturing a friend with severe learning difficulties before forcing him to fall to his death from a 100ft railway viaduct.”

Full story 

The Guardian, 31st July 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Kiyan’s killer given life sentence – The Guardian

Posted July 26th, 2007 in murder, news, sentencing, young offenders by sally

“A teenager has been sentenced to at least 13 years in prison for the murder of the promising young footballer Kiyan Prince, who was stabbed to death outside his school gates.”

Full story

The Guardian, 26th July 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Youth crime targets missed – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 25th, 2007 in criminal justice, news, young offenders by sally

“Increases in arrests of young people for petty crimes and anti-social behaviour have undermined Government efforts to reduce the number of youths entering the criminal justice system, according to a report.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 25th July 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Criminals have 40 chances to flout the rules – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 23rd, 2007 in news, young offenders by sally

“Young criminals placed on the Government’s flagship community punishment scheme could break the rules more than 40 times before being sent back to court, it has been disclosed.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 23rd July 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Coroner tells Straw to act now on restraint in child prisons – The Guardian

Posted July 19th, 2007 in inquests, news, prisons, young offenders by sally

“The coroner who presided over the inquest into the death of a 15-year-old who died after being restrained in a child jail has warned the justice secretary, Jack Straw, that it would be ‘wholly unforgivable’ if the lessons were delayed by a general review of the use of restraint announced yesterday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th July 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Child jail gets new head amid unease over use of restraint – The Guardian

Posted July 13th, 2007 in news, prisons, young offenders by sally

“A quarter of young offenders at a troubled privately run child jail have been moved out and a new director appointed after official concern over the rising use of restraint by staff to control violent teenagers.”

Full story 

The Guardian, 13th July 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Damilola killers lose appeal – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 4th, 2007 in appeals, murder, young offenders by michael

“Two teenage brothers convicted of the manslaughter of schoolboy Damilola Taylor have lost appeals against their sentences of eight years’ detention.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 4th July 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Use of restraint blamed for prison death of boy, 15 – The Guardian

Posted June 29th, 2007 in inquests, news, prisons, young offenders by sally

“The death of Gareth Myatt, a teenager who choked and died while being restrained by three guards at a privately-run youth prison, could have been prevented, an inquest jury found yesterday.”

Full story 

The Guardian, 29th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Former youth justice chief attacks rule change on restraint – The Guardian

Posted June 22nd, 2007 in news, young offenders by sally

“The senior civil servant who drew up the rules on restraining teenagers in child jails has strongly criticised ministers for making changes which will allow private security staff to inflict pain on children who refuse to go to bed or be quiet.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Children’s jail staff given wider powers of restraint – The Guardian

Posted June 19th, 2007 in news, young offenders by sally

“The rules governing the use of restraint techniques based on inflicting pain in privately-run children’s jails are to be widened to allow staff to use them to enforce everyday discipline, the Ministry of Justice confirmed yesterday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘What gives them the right to hit a child in the nose?’ – The Guardian

Posted June 4th, 2007 in inquests, news, suicide, young offenders by sally

“At 14, Adam Rickwood became the youngest person to die in custody. This week, an inquest left more questions than answers.” 

Full story

The Guardian, 2nd June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Rethink use of restraint on young offenders, urges coroner – The Guardian

Posted June 1st, 2007 in news, young offenders by sally

“A coroner called yesterday for an urgent review of the use of restraint on young offenders after a jury returned a suicide verdict on a vulnerable 14-year-old who hanged himself with his shoelaces at a privately-run secure unit.”

Full story

The Guardian, 1st June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Raise the criminal age to 18’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 17th, 2007 in criminal responsibility, news, young offenders by sally

“The age of criminal responsibility should be raised from 10 to as high as 18, a report says today.”

Full story 

Daily Telegraph, 17th May 2007 

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk  

Related link: Debating youth justice: from punishment to problem solving (PDF)

JPs ‘ignore advice of experts’ – The Times

Posted May 15th, 2007 in magistrates, news, young offenders by sally

“Magistrates’ decisions are made on the basis of stereotypes, and ignore advice from experts, research says.”

Full story

The Times, 15th May 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Private van guards to assess whether young are tough enough for adult jails – The Guardian

Posted April 30th, 2007 in news, young offenders by sally

“Private security staff who operate prison vans will decide from today whether young adults awaiting trial in London are mentally strong enough to survive in the toughest prisons.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th April 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Gang culture ‘death and devastation’ must end, says judge – The Guardian

Posted April 28th, 2007 in gangs, news, young offenders by sally

“The ‘death and devastation’ resulting from Britain’s gang and knife culture was condemned by a senior judge yesterday as he jailed a teenager for the murder of a street rival. Judge Gerald Gordon told the Old Bailey that there must be an end to families being torn apart by youth violence, often prompted by trivial disputes.”

Full story

The Guardian, 28th April 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Senior judge hits out at knife culture – Reuters

Posted April 27th, 2007 in gangs, news, young offenders by sally

“A senior judge has criticised the growing knife culture for causing ‘death and devastation’ as he sentenced a teenager for the fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old boy on a south London estate.”

Full story

Reuters, 27th April 2007

Source: www.reuters.com

Persistent young offenders bulletins – Department for Constitutional Affairs

Posted April 13th, 2007 in statistics, young offenders by sally

“The bulletin gives overall national figures for arrest to sentence, for England and Wales, as well as figures for the Magistrates Court and Crown Court separately. On a quarterly basis, the figures are further broken down by Criminal Justice Areas.”

January 2007 (PDF)

Department for Constitutional Affairs, 13th April 2007

Source: www.dca.gov.uk