Photo: Ryan Godfrey via Flickr |
New research from nef shows how locking up children and young people for non-violent offences is costing the taxpayer millions, while doing little to reduce the amount of crime. The report, Punishing Costs, presents evidence on how being sent to prison increases a young person's chance of reoffending and makes unemployment and unstable living conditions more likely. When these consequences are taken into account, the full cost of a year-long sentence is £140,000. These public resources could be used far more effectively to increase public safety.
The report presents a policy that would use the resources currently spent on prison as seed funding for a more local justice system. The policy would encourage local authorities to offer high-quality community supervision as an alternative to custody. Savings created through a reduction in the use of prisons would be channelled to reduce crime and to improve neighbourhoods and the welfare of children.
>> Read Punishing Costs
>> From the blog: Solving the prisoner's dilemma
>> Daily Telegraph: Young criminals cost £140,000 a year to imprison
>> The Guardian: £140,000: the annual cost of jailing a young criminal |