The changing face of child imprisonment

Between 1991 and 2006 the number of children who were sentenced to custody more than tripled. At the same time, the average number of children in prison has also jumped, from 327 in 1991 to 2,600 in 2009, an increase of almost 800%. Children sentenced to prison are also spending longer locked up now than ever before – with the average prison sentence given to children for non-violent offences increasing dramatically. 

Average prison sentence given to children in magistrates’ court 1997-2007