Out of Trouble
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Care - a stepping stone to custody?
Internal Publication
Looked after children account for less than 1% of the total child population, but have long been over-represented in the youth justice system. The latest survey of 15-18 year olds in young offender institutions found that more than a quarter of the boys, and half the girls, were or had been looked after at some point previously.
Drawing on interviews with looked after children, this report - Care – a stepping stone to custody? The views of children in care on the links between care, offending and custody - considers whether any aspects of the care system increase the likelihood of, or help prevent, offending and what can be done to keep children in care out of trouble.
Presenting a 7-point blueprint for preventing offending, drawing on the children's recommendations for change and aimed at practitioners and policymakers, this report shines a light on a vulnerable yet neglected group in the youth justice system with a view to putting things right at long last.
