Thursday 23 June 2011

Another ‘Charity’ We Can Safely Ignore

Thousands of children under 16 are being held overnight in police cells every year, figures reveal.
You mean, unnecessarily?
… according to figures obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform
Ah. Right. Well, to them, it's always 'unnecessary', isn't it?
The charity called the practice "evil" and urged that it be stopped.
I call this 'charity' evil, and though I wouldn't want to see it stopped (it helps to have the loons all in one place so they can be easily identified), I really, really with people would stop taking any notice of it...
Anita Dockley, research director for the charity, blamed failures in the referral process from police custody to local authority accommodation. "This referral process is a vital safeguard for children who are charged and whose bail is refused by the police. But police admitted to us that requests by them for local authority accommodation are often not met."
Well, then, what are they to do with them, Anita? Have you got room for a couple at your house?
Some police forces admit concern over the numbers and are trying alternative approaches. In 2006, Hull was third in a national league table of local authorities sending children under the age of 18 to custody. But it had little impact on re-offending, said commander Keith Hunter of Hull police. He introduced full time youth justice workers into his police custody suite. Now in its third year, the scheme steers away from the criminal justice system through age-appropriate alternatives, including counselling, supported return to school, anger management and alcohol awareness training. The programme has halved the number of child detentions in Hull.
Never mind the fact that it halved child detentions, what did it do for the crime rate? Did it have any effect?

Surely, if it did, it'd be trumpeted from the rooftops?
Andy Adams, speaking for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: "As with adults, detention of children in custody is authorised for a number of reasons, including to further a criminal investigation, to uncover the identity of any suspects or because the disappearance of that person would hinder any prosecution. The rules for the detention of suspects are set down in law and on every occasion must be authorised by a custody officer.

"Detentions of both children and adults in police custody are reviewed regularly to ensure that they are being held in accordance with the law and not for any longer than required for police investigations."
The usual ACPO boilerplate...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The police don't want these children in their cells either.Offenders under a certain age have to be given into council care after being charged but every time I have rung them to take little johnie there is never secure units available. So they are stuck for the night until court the next day.
To be honest they are perfectly safe in a cell.They can't take drugs or drink,thieve or stab each other.
Jaded

Shinar's Basket Case said...

I was held for a few hours last year on some mickey mouse BS charge of Handling Stolen Goods (cos I was the Good Neighbour who found the stuff and took it straight round to the victims...fool that I am).

A lot has changed down the Nick in the last few years. I was treated with Kid Gloves, offered tea or coffee and something to read while locked up. The coppers were at pains to make the whole experience as least traumatic as possible.

And when they found out my special dietary requirements (sirloin steak) they started to panic because if they couldn't feed me they'd be looking at a whole heap of paperwork and woe.

I'm very comfortable with the idea of even an 10 year old being locked in a cell overnight. He'll be safe, secure and very well treated.

JuliaM said...

"To be honest they are perfectly safe in a cell.They can't take drugs or drink,thieve or stab each other."

A cell is exactly where many of them deserve to be, too. And thanks to the useless juvenile justice system, probably the only time they ever see one...

"I'm very comfortable with the idea of even an 10 year old being locked in a cell overnight. He'll be safe, secure and very well treated."

Indeed. To read the article is to imagine some damp, chilly castle dungeon.