ktlight
12th May 2011, 06:38
British police are arresting tens of thousands of children every year across the UK, of whom only a third ends in court, new figures show.
The figures provided by the Howard League for Penal Reform showed that almost 250,000 children aged 10-17 were arrested in 2009, including almost 28,000 under 14, of whom only 81,500 received court treatment and of them just 5,176 were jailed, British media reported.
The figures also indicated "an excessive and inappropriate use of arrest for children", said the Howard League.
It warned the situation could deteriorate if police and crime commissioners, which will be elected to oversee forces for the first time next year, see children as an easy and popular target to boost arrests.
"Children are 'low-hanging fruit' which partly accounts for their extremely high arrest rates when the police were forced to work to targets”, said Frances Crook, the charity's director.
"A police commissioner would find it more electorally enticing to run a campaign aimed at the easy arrest and detention of children rather than devoting resources to crimes that appeal less to the local media or populace. Anyone who is the parent of a child will understand how upsetting it would be to find that your son or daughter has been arrested”, added Crook.
Children are entering the criminal justice system when their behaviour should instead be a concern for their families and the welfare system, the charity said.
source
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/179475.html
The figures provided by the Howard League for Penal Reform showed that almost 250,000 children aged 10-17 were arrested in 2009, including almost 28,000 under 14, of whom only 81,500 received court treatment and of them just 5,176 were jailed, British media reported.
The figures also indicated "an excessive and inappropriate use of arrest for children", said the Howard League.
It warned the situation could deteriorate if police and crime commissioners, which will be elected to oversee forces for the first time next year, see children as an easy and popular target to boost arrests.
"Children are 'low-hanging fruit' which partly accounts for their extremely high arrest rates when the police were forced to work to targets”, said Frances Crook, the charity's director.
"A police commissioner would find it more electorally enticing to run a campaign aimed at the easy arrest and detention of children rather than devoting resources to crimes that appeal less to the local media or populace. Anyone who is the parent of a child will understand how upsetting it would be to find that your son or daughter has been arrested”, added Crook.
Children are entering the criminal justice system when their behaviour should instead be a concern for their families and the welfare system, the charity said.
source
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/179475.html