News

Young adult prisoners are “languishing in a political and policy vacuum,” in some of the most impoverished regimes in the entire prison estate, a new report out today warns, writes Maria Ahmed.

Research by the Howard League for Penal Reform has found that prison is failing to tackle the needs of 18-20 year-olds or reduce re-offending.

Nearly 70 per cent of young men who leave prison are reconvicted within two years of their release, committing at least 8,500 offences every year, according to the report.

It also found that the majority of young men in prison come from disadvantaged communities where offending is “endemic,” with many having mental health and substance misuse problems, and experience of being in care.

Nearly one in five young men were homeless before going into prison or after release, while over half of young adults had not been in work prior to prison.

Around one third of young men in prison were fathers or had a pregnant partner or ex-partner.

One-fifth had been in some kind of care, and nearly half reported mental health needs, with one in 10 saying they had self-harmed, felt suicidal or had attempted suicide.

The findings are part of an ongoing research study involving in-depth interviews with 86 young men, the majority of whom are serving short-term sentences of less than 12 months.

The report claimed the government had failed to live up to the pledge in Labour’s 2001 manifesto to improve the standard of provision for 18-20-year-olds.

It said: “Imprisoning young men at this critical stage in their lives can have a massively detrimental effect upon their development and their future life chances. Alternatives to custody should be sought in all possible cases.”

The Home Office is currently considering concentrating its efforts on reducing re-offending on 18-20-year-olds under the National Offender Management Service.

Chris Stanley, head of youth crime at rehabilitation agency Nacro said there should be more focus on young adults.

“The peak age of re-offending is 19, but there is more potential to change people at this age than with any other age group.

“If the government really concentrated resources there would be a much higher chance of reducing re-offending and the financial savings to prisons and society would be enormous.”
‘Young, neglected and back’ from: www.howardleague.org