The number of first time offenders aged 10-17 is down by 10%. Only 312 juveniles (per 100,000 of the population) entered the criminal justice system for the first time in the last year in England and Wales, it’s the lowest level since the year ending June 2007. This is according to the latest official figures published by the Ministry of Justice and Youth Justice Board for England and Wales.
In the last decade, Juvenile offenders who received their
first conviction or caution has dropped drastically by 85%, in 2007 2,030
juveniles entered the criminal justice system for the first time while only 312
juveniles were recorded in the year ending June 2017. This is part of an
overall decreasing crime rate, with crime in England and Wales down by 46% since
2007 according to the Office of National Statistics.
These figures are based on the number of offenders who live
in England and Wales and who received a caution or conviction for the first time,
their offences were recorded on the Police National Computer by an English or Welsh
police force as having receive their first conviction, or caution.
Tessy Illumoka, a criminal lawyer points to more robust
procedures put in place by the Crown Prosecution service to secure convictions,
which then deter other potential juveniles from committing crime, she argues
that this has resulted in the drastic decrease in first time offenders.
She said “the CPS are getting evidence in on time, reviewing
cases on time and convicting on time”
One recent initiative that has gone some way to secure
convictions quickly is the Transformative Summary Justice Initiative was
adopted by criminal justice agencies in June 2015. It aims to reform the way
criminal cases are handled in magistrates courts.
The initiative meant that criminal procedures such as advanced
disclosure, initial disclosure of the prosecution case and special measures are
prepared before the first hearing of the case in court. This avoid delays in
court hearings which have long been a problem in the justice system, this has
created a more swifter system.
Tessy Illumoka, also praises the work of charities who campaign
to reduce young offending, one such charity is Narco.
Sarah Wilkinson, the
programme manager at Narco welcome the news of the decrease in the number of
first time Juveniles arguing that ‘prevention and diversion of young people
away from the criminal justice system must be a priority’.
However she also added that while the rate of first time
offenders has decreased, reoffending rates remain ‘stubbornly high with over
two thirds of juveniles reoffending within 12 months of release from secure
institutions’.
The rate of juveniles who received their second conviction
or caution is still 37% higher than that of first time offenders, with over 22,150
being recorded in the last year. Since 2007 the rate of reoffending amongst young
people has fallen by 81% which is also lower than the rate first time juveniles
throughout the last decade.
In 2017 reoffenders made up 58% of the total number of
offences, a 6% increase since 2007.
The South West of England has seen a highest decrease with
the number first time juveniles dropping by 88.5% in the last decade, Surrey recorded
the least amount in the region with only 95 Juvenile offenders being recorded in the
year ending June 2007.
London had the lowest rate of decrease with only a 78%
percent drop in first time juveniles, the borough of Lambeth had the highest
rate with 610 juveniles recorded in 2017.
Females first time offenders decreased by 90%, only 123 were
recorded in 2017, this compares to 1,314 female juveniles in 2007. Male young offenders made up 79% of Juveniles
in 2017 and over the last decade there had only been a 82% fall in the number
of male first time juveniles.
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