Every year, we reach a pivotal moment in the youth justice calendar: the publication of our annual statistics.
These figures are not just numbers on a page—they are essential tools that help us understand the landscape of youth justice in England and Wales. They inform our priorities, support our advice to government ministers, and shape the support provided to children in the system.
Looking at this year’s data, there are several positives worth celebrating, as well as persistent and emerging challenges we must continue to address.
Fewer first time entrants and reduced knife offences
One of the most encouraging trends is the continued fall in the number of children entering the youth justice system for the first time—a 3% drop to a record low. This is particularly welcome given the slight rise last year, which raised concerns that we might be witnessing a new upward trend.
Early intervention remains key. All agencies hold a responsibility to prevent children from offending and the evidence says that the earlier we can support vulnerable children, the more likely they are to lead positive, constructive lives and contribute to our communities.
The number of stop and searches has also fallen by 4%, though it remains a concern that over three-quarters result in No Further Action. This does little to build trust in policing and broader public services for children and young people, particularly among Black and other minority communities. We must ensure police and youth justice responses are both proportionate and appropriate.
While we are pleased that many forces are adopting child-centred policing or a Child First approach to ensure better outcomes for children, victims and the wider community, there is clearly still work to be done.
We are in conversation with our partners, such as the National Police Chiefs’ Council, to advocate for evidence-based practice, share advice and to ensure scrutiny is in place to ensure that children from ethnic minorities are not disproportionately represented. We will also offer advice to Ministers on what our oversight tells us is needed to create the necessary improvements.
It is reassuring to see a 6% drop in proven knife or offensive weapon offences committed by children, marking the sixth consecutive year of decline. While knife crime is often associated with children in the media, it is important to note that adults commit most of these offences.
Addressing the root causes—such as poverty, trauma, exploitation, and fear—remains critical. The majority of children who carry knives often do so out of a legitimate sense of fear or victimisation. We must address and reduce these societal pressures and help children develop better ways to manage risk and think through consequences.
Another record low in the data was the average number of children in custody falling 3% against the previous year (to 430). While this is welcome, we advocate for a complete rethink of the approach to custody that is more in line with the new secure school. The secure school, which opened last year, places education and healthcare at the heart of its approach to support children and steer them away from reoffending.
Emerging challenges
Despite, or because of the reduced number of children in custody, we are concerned by the growing number of young adults aged 18 that remain there. These establishments are meant for children and yet the number of 18-year-olds has more than doubled from around 60 in the previous year to 150 in the latest year. This was due to pressures on capacity in the adult estate, and heightens the need for reform in the adult criminal justice system.
Another area that presents a significant challenge is the time it takes to process cases in the court system. On average, it now takes 225 days from offence to completion. This is four days longer than during the pandemic, when there were court closures, for cases to be resolved.
Delays place a huge strain on children, their families, and victims alike. Prolonged uncertainty affects children psychologically and practically, leaving them unable to plan or move forward and potentially delaying them from accessing the right support at the right time.
We are advocating for both short-term and long-term solutions. In the short term, youth courts should be given greater powers, as they are better suited to meet the needs of children than Crown Courts. Technological advancements, like the Common Platform, could also improve case progression. In the long term, we need systemic reform of courts t o streamline processes and reduce delays.
Persistent issues
Alarmingly, nearly three-quarters of children on custodial remand do not go on to receive custodial sentences.
This means that hundreds of children and their families experience the negative effects of custody and then go on to receive a community sentence, or no sentence at all. Having children in custody that do not need to be there not only creates additional trauma and exposure to criminality for the children, but also leads to unnecessary risk and costs for the general public. The evidence is clear that contact with the criminal justice system, and custody, heightens the likelihood of reoffending.
The proven reoffending rate for children has increased as has the number of children and the number of children who reoffended. This along with the reductions in first time entrants suggests that the children in the system now require a higher level of support to break free from an offending cycle. We will be looking at this very closely in the coming weeks.
I have to say that I am greatly encouraged by the reduced over-representation of Black children across a range of areas. Compared to other ethnicities, Black children saw the biggest decrease in stop and search and first time entrants.
While still massively over-represented compared to the general population, Black children in custody are at their lowest proportion since 2017. There is also a significant decrease (21%) in the numbers of Black children on remand, with Black children being the only ethnicity this year to see a reoffending rate decrease. We must be clear: any level of over-representation is unacceptable, but something is clearly working towards achieving change , and we remain determined to continue collaborating with our partners to address the contributors to racial disparity.
I am particularly concerned by the fact that the proportion of children with Mixed ethnicity in custody has doubled over the past decade. We must understand why this is happening and, more importantly, work together to prevent it.
Community-based solutions are essential. The London Accommodation Pathfinder is a promising example, providing targeted support to boys of Black or Mixed heritage who might otherwise be remanded to custody. By offering appropriate community settings, we can achieve better outcomes and reduce unnecessary detention.
Let’s build on this momentum
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone in the youth justice sector for their dedication and hard work. These statistics show that positive change is possible when we collaborate and adopt evidence-based approaches.
But there is still much to do. Let’s continue to push for a youth justice system that recognises the potential in every child and supports them on their journey toward a brighter future.
By working together, we can build on this momentum to ensure better outcomes for all children, and victims with less crime, and safer communities.
