Sentencing: Young Offenders
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer on 29 July 2026 to question 3142 on youth reoffending rates, what comparative assessment he has made of the reoffending rate for (a) short custodial sentences, (b) longer custodial sentences for children,(c) community-based sentences and (d) diversion programmes.
Answered by Jake Richards
Evidence from Ministry of Justice research using matched statistical analysis suggests that custodial sentences for children are associated with higher reoffending rates than either Referral Orders or Youth Rehabilitation Orders (and where custodial sentences are used, longer sentences were associated with lower reoffending rates than matched short sentences).
A second study comparing community disposals found that: a) Youth Rehabilitation Orders are associated with higher reoffending rates than Referral Orders; b) Discharges from court were associated with lower reoffending rates than Referral Orders for two of the three cohorts examined, and c) Referral Orders were associated with similar reoffending outcomes compared to matched cautions.
These results should be considered indicative rather than conclusive as there may be important factors that influence the likelihood of reoffending that could not be included within the analyses. The two studies also use different methodologies, datasets, and cover different time periods so are not directly comparable. Different disposals are available for courts and frontline professionals to apply and the right disposal for a particular child will depend on the individual circumstances of the case.
The relevant publications can be accessed at the following links:
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