The number of young people held in custody has fallen to a record low, new statistics reveal.
A total of 929 under 18s were in custody last December, the Youth Justice Board reports in its latest monthly bulletin, a 6.3 per cent fall from just a month previously, when 991 languished behind bars. In December the previous year, 956 young people were held..
The highest number on record remains June 2008, when no less than 3,072 children were detained by the authorities secure children homes, secure training centres and young offender institutions.
The Youth Justice Board is a government agency working with young offenders. Created by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, the Board oversees the youth justice system across England and Wales and is sponsored by the Ministry of Justice.
Read the statistics here.
