Young Offenders

HC Deb 02 December 2002 vol 395 cc605-7W

36. Vernon Coaker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Lord Chancellor about his plans for the bailing of persistent young offenders. [82338]

Hilary Benn

Home Office Ministers frequently discuss criminal justice matters with the Lord Chancellor and other Government colleagues. We decided this year to implement extended secure remand powers in respect of 12–16 year olds who repeatedly commit imprisonable offences while on bail or remand, together with bail tagging for juveniles. We have also funded an expansion of the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme. Together these changes give the courts much more choice where persistent young offenders are facing trial.

Mr.Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many incidents of self- harm there were in young offender institutions in each year since 1997; [82748]

(2) how many young offenders took their own lives while in custody in each year since 1997. [82747]

Hilary Benn

The information requested is in the tables. Table 1 covers the 79 self-inflicted juvenile and young offender deaths between 1997 and 20 November 2002. Table 2 covers the number of recorded incidents of self-harm by juveniles and young offenders between 1998 and 30 June 2002, data on self-harm in this format not having been available before 1998.

Table 1. Showing the number of self-inflicted deaths of juveniles and young offenders in custody between 01.01.1997 and 20.11.2002
	Juveniles (15–17 years)	Young offenders (18–20 years)	Total under 21 years (juveniles and young Offenders)
1997	0	9	9
1998	3	11	14
1999	2	13	15
2000	3	13	16
2001	3	10	13
2002	2	10	12
Total	13	66	79

The Prison Service employs the term "self-inflicted death" which includes all those deaths where it appears the person may have acted specifically to take his/her own life.

Table 2. Recorded incidents of self-harm among juveniles and young offenders in custody 1 January 1998 to 30 June 2002
	Juveniles (15–17 years)	Young offenders (18–20 years)	Total under-21 years (juveniles and young Offenders)
1998	252	746	998
1999	205	825	1,030
2000	288	1,069	1,357
2001	402	1,343	1,745
2002	260	739	999
Total	1,407	4,722	6,129

Prison Service, with the support of the Youth Justice Board, is currently developing a suicide and self-harm prevention strategy. This is being taken forward progressively through a three year programme, which commenced in April 2001. Efforts are being targeted where the risks are highest within a broad preventative approach. The prisoners most at risk—in local prisons, on remand, in the early weeks and months of custody— will be better identified and cared for by better trained and supported staff. We aim to encourage a supportive culture in prisons based on good staff-prisoner relationships, a constructive regime and a physically safe environment. Six pilot prisons will act as the test bed for the full range of new safer custody policies and standards, and will be independently evaluated to determine which elements should subsequently be rolled out to the wider prison estate.

Jenkins

To ask the Secretary of State for the ome Department what percentage of young people are oung offenders(a) in Staffordshire and (b) on average in England. [82975]

Hilary Benn

4.2 per cent, of all young people (aged 10–17 inclusive) in Staffordshire were convicted or dealt with by police reprimand or warning in 2001. The proportion for England as a whole was 3.2 per cent.

Mr. Jenkins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research has been evaluated by his Department on the most appropriate method of deterrent to prevent young offenders from re offending. [83976]

Hilary Benn

The Home Office and the Youth Justice Board (YJB) are currently evaluating the overall impact of the justice youth reforms and their component programmes.

Statistics published in June this year for offenders dealt with in July 2000, showed a 14.6 per cent, reduction in reconviction rates compared with 1997. Independent evaluation reports have been published: on Youth Offending Teams, the introduction of the Referral Order, reconvictions after Final Warnings, and Parenting programmes. The YJB expects shortly to publish further evaluation reports on cognitive behaviour, mentoring, drugs and alcohol, education, training and employment, prevention, and interventions in support of final warnings.