Nearly half of young people to breach Asbos jailed

Home Office
minister Hazel Blears announced new measures to tackle antisocial
behaviour today as government figures showed that almost half of
young people who breach asbos end up in custody.

The Home Office figures show that 4649 Asbos were issued in England
and Wales from April 1999 to December 2004. 

The numbers more than doubled over the past year, with 2643 issued
in 2004 compared to 1040 in 2003.

By the end of 2003, 46 per cent of juveniles with Asbos were jailed
for breaching the orders, the figures show.

The Home Office said that the majority of those who received
custody for breaching Asbos were persistent offenders who were also
being dealt with for other offences.

The figures show that 30 of a total of 179 juveniles went into
custody for breaching Asbos without any other offence at the end of
2003.

Only seven individual support orders, which help address the causes
of antisocial behaviour, and 18 parenting orders were issued
alongside Asbo applications since they were introduced in spring
last year.

However, the government announced an extra £500,000 funding
for ISOs for young people between the ages of 10 and 17
years.

Unveiling new antisocial behaviour measures today, Home Office
Minister Hazel Blears said: “The statistics published today
show that local authorities are responding enthusiastically to the
powers available to them.”

The Home Office also announced today that they would lift of
automatic reporting restrictions to allow the local media to give
details of those who breach their Asbos.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister also announced that it
intends to consult on enabling local authorities to contract powers
to seek Asbos to bodies carrying responsibility for housing
management on their behalf.