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A unique, UK wide ICM survey for SmartJustice shows that only one in ten people think prison turns young offenders into law abiding citizens.

Two in three people, of over 1,000 polled, think that prisons are universities of crime - and 65% think they are not effective in reducing young people’s offending. Instead, the vast majority (eight out of ten) back mental health and drug or alcohol treatment. Nearly all (nine out of ten) want better support of young people by parents and more constructive activities for young people to stop them getting into crime.

This is the first time the public have been asked how to reduce non violent crime committed by young people.

The poll, published exclusively today in the Mirror newspaper, was commissioned by SmartJustice to launch the Prison Reform Trust’s programme to reduce child and youth imprisonment which is supported by The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.

The number of under 18s in prison has more than doubled since 1989 -and over eight out of ten boys under 18 who are released from prison are reconvicted within two years.

Other findings show that;

· Eight out of ten people (84%) back compulsory work in the community along with drug treatment for young drug addicts;

· Only 30% believe building more prison places would be effective in reducing re-offending amongst young people who have committed non violent crimes;

· Children in the UK can be imprisoned from the age of ten but 85% of those polled think children this young should not be sent to jail for non violent crimes.

SmartJustice Director Lucie Russell said:

“People no longer believe that locking up young criminals and throwing away the key achieves anything. The Government needs to sit up and listen to what the public are saying loud and clear - prison is an expensive way of making non violent young offenders worse. Instead of spending tax-payers money locking yet more young people up, we need more investment in constructive activities for young people, more support to improve parenting, more mental healthcare and drug treatment in the community and more punishments in which young offenders do compulsory work to pay back the community for their crimes”.

Penelope Gibbs, Director of the Programme to Reduce Child and Youth Imprisonment said;

“We lock up more of our children than any other European country, at a younger age than most. But children should only be imprisoned if they pose a threat to others. This survey shows that people do not support the imprisonment of non-violent teenagers”.

TJ Dolan, one of the ‘Deerbolt Two’ who was locked up for graffiti offences last year said:

“I totally agree with the findings of this survey. It’s madness to keep non-violent offenders locked up. I spent months sitting in a prison cell doing nothing costing the tax payer thousands of pounds, when instead I could have been doing compulsory work in the community as my punishment - which would have been far more use to my local area.”

ends

For more information, case histories or to arrange interviews please contact:
Lucie Russell: 0207 689 7734 or 07931 507873, Penelope Gibbs; 07906 098686 or Sinead Hanks: 07931 380952

Notes to Editors

1.ICM interviewed a representative sample of 1034 adults aged 18+ online across the UK between 14th – 16th December 2007. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Further information at www.icmresearch.co.uk.

2. For full results go to www.smartjustice.org and see today’s Mirror Newspaper

3. SmartJustice campaigns for and promotes community based solutions to crime. It is based at the Prison Reform Trust and supported by the Network for Social Change, the group behind the Jubilee 2000 Drop the Debt Campaign, and the Big Lottery Fund

4. SmartJustice for Young People is calling for more constructive activities for young people, more support to improve parenting, more mental health and drug treatment in the community and more punishments in which young offenders do compulsory work to pay back the community for their crimes.

5. The Prison Reform Trust is today launching its five year programme to reduce the number of children and young people imprisoned in the UK. This programme is funded by The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.

6. Facts about young people and crime:

· In 2006 12,694 18-22 year olds and 5291 to 15-17 year olds were imprisoned in England and Wales.

· Two thirds of under 21 year old’s are in prison for non violent offences

· It costs £50,800 to lock up each young offender for a year.

· 82% of under 18's are reconvicted within two years of leaving prison.

· The number of under 18 year olds in prison more than doubled since 1989. In 2006 5,291 15-17 year olds were jailed.

· Young people are much more likely to end up with a prison sentence than they were 10 years ago when for a similar offence they would have received a caution, a fine or a community penalty.

· Over half of under 18s have been in care or involved with social services and three in four of those held in young offenders' institutions have not attended school beyond the age of 13.

· Over half of 16-20 year olds who are locked up say they were dependent on drugs or alcohol in the year prior to imprisonment.

· One in three girls locked up has been subjected to sexual abuse,and one in four has experienced violence at home.