Tougher sentences on knife crime have little effect on the number of young people carrying knives, according to research published today by the Howard League for Penal Reform.
In a series of interviews with under-18s held at Feltham Young Offender Institution and Remand Centre, Pentonville Prison governor Nicola Marfleet found that the risk of being sent to prison for carrying a knife was not a significant deterrent.
Marfleet also found that children as young as 11 were being drawn into carrying weapons. The main reasons they gave were fear, victimisation and the lack of strong parental figures.
Fear of reprisal
She said: “Young people spoke about how they were always anticipating attack, living under a constant fear of reprisal from other gangs who were armed and therefore they also needed to be.”
Frances Crook, Howard League for Penal Reform director, said the government’s investment in policing, enforcement and custodial sentences had failed to fully address the problem.
She added: “Targeted investment in health and education, as well as community projects that value young people and the skills they can offer, are vital if we are to find lasting solutions to knife crime.”
Related articles
Gun crime: Young people part of solution not problem, says NCH
Criminologists attack Home Office over ‘suppression’ of research
Tackle knife crime’s underlying causes, says King’s College report
Sports stars line up behind NCH youth crime consultation
A trauma-informed approach to social work: practice tips 
Problem gambling: how to recognise the warning signs 
Find out how to develop your emotional resilience with our free downloadable guide 
Develop your social work career with Community Care’s Careers and Training Guide 
‘Dear Sajid Javid: please end the inappropriate detention of autistic people and those with learning disabilities’
Ofsted calls for power to scrutinise children’s home groups
Seven in eight commissioners paying below ‘minimum rate for home care’
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
Instagram
Comments are closed.