Youth justice reforms to prioritise early intervention and reduce child custody

The Government has unveiled a major overhaul of the youth justice system aimed at intervening earlier to prevent children and young people becoming trapped in cycles of offending, with ministers pledging to reduce the use of custodial remand for children by 25% during this Parliament.

Published on 18 May, the new Youth Justice White Paper sets out a wide-ranging programme of reform focused on prevention, rehabilitation and community-based alternatives to custody, alongside tougher expectations on parents and carers when children offend.

The plans include the introduction of new Youth Intervention Courts bringing together judges, youth justice services and specialist support agencies to address the underlying causes of offending and monitor compliance with tailored interventions. Ministers also intend to strengthen Parenting Orders, whose use has fallen sharply from more than 1,000 in 2009/10 to just 33 in 2022/23.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said: "Too many young people are being drawn into crime, with devastating consequences for victims, communities and their own futures.

"These reforms lay the foundation to intervene far earlier, support families, and tackle the drivers of offending so fewer young people become trapped in cycles of crime, creating safer streets and fewer victims."

The White Paper comes amid continuing concerns about reoffending rates among children in custody. Government figures cited in the document show more than two-thirds of children released from custody reoffend within a year, while just over one-third of children given community sentences go on to reoffend.

Alongside the reforms, ministers announced an additional £15.4 million per year for the Turnaround programme, designed to support children at risk of entering the youth justice system. The Government said only 7% of children completing Turnaround interventions had gone on to receive a sentence or caution as of December 2024.

The White Paper also commits the Government to consulting on childhood criminal records reform by the end of the year, potentially ending lifelong disclosure requirements for offences committed as children.

Minister for Sentencing and Youth Justice Jake Richards said: "Put simply, the youth justice system is not working – not for children, victims and communities blighted by crime.

"These reforms will modernise the system, keep pace with emerging risks and ensure young offenders get the support they need to turn their lives around, while improving public safety."

The reforms place a particular emphasis on reducing the use of custodial remand for children awaiting trial or sentencing, backed by £5 million to develop community alternatives. Supporting evidence for that approach has emerged from new research by Manchester Metropolitan University evaluating a Greater Manchester remand pilot that informed the White Paper.

The evaluation of the Greater Manchester Alternative to Custodial Remand pilot found that custodial remand use fell sharply across the region between April 2024 and April 2026, dropping to just one case in January 2026, while generating savings of more than £3 million.

Researchers found that across Greater Manchester between 2023 and 2026, 181 children were remanded to custody for an average of 62 days, despite almost half of children being held without conviction. Almost two thirds of children held on remand did not subsequently receive custodial sentences.

The study also highlighted the vulnerability of many children caught up in the justice system. More than 80% were classed as a Looked After Child, Child In Need or subject to a Child Protection Plan, while more than half had special educational needs or disabilities.

Under the pilot, children were instead placed in local authority accommodation, including small residential settings designed to provide intensive support in more domestic environments while maintaining education and independence.

Professor Hannah Smithson, Professor of Criminology and Youth Justice at Manchester Met’s Centre for Crime and Youth Justice, said: “This groundbreaking pilot has shown the importance of effective alternatives to custodial remand for children, the majority of whom were not given custodial sentences after being held in custody on remand.

“Our evaluation comes at an important time for youth justice and directly speaks to the proposals in the Government’s new Youth Justice White Paper. It demonstrates how a regional pooled funding approach, alongside small-scale, highly supervised residential settings, can support more equitable and child-centred youth justice practice.”

The Government said the reforms were also intended to address modern risks facing children, including online harms, exploitation and exposure to misogynistic content. Ministers confirmed they would proceed with plans to create a new child criminal exploitation offence targeting adults who groom children into offending.

Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza welcomed the reforms, particularly the focus on education.

"As Children’s Commissioner, I have consistently been clear about the need to reform the youth justice system. We must build an approach that keeps children safe, diverts them from crime wherever possible, and prioritises meaningful behaviour change.

"Education is central to this. It is the most powerful tool we have to prevent offending in the first place, and it remains vital for those in Young Offender Institutions who have already fallen through the cracks. I am therefore pleased to welcome the Youth Justice White Paper published today, and that I have been asked to undertake a review of the education children in YOIs receive, with the aim of improving outcomes and giving these children a better chance for the future."

Anti-knife crime campaigner Faron Paul, founder of Fazamnesty, also backed the proposals.

"Fazamnesty welcomes the Government’s proactive approach in the Youth Justice White Paper, which focuses on early intervention, prevention, and support for young people facing growing pressures and exploitation. Prevention is always better than cure. By working together with organisations like Fazamnesty and other community groups, we can help guide young people away from crime and create safer communities for everyone."

The reforms build on wider Government pledges to halve knife crime within a decade and strengthen responses to violence against women and girls, with ministers arguing that prevention and earlier intervention will be central to reducing offending and improving long-term outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.