CONVEYOR BELT TO CRIME (5/11/02)

In Britain today, half of all crime is committed by young people.Conservative research has led them to recognise what they call the Conveyor Belt to Crime.

Many young offenders are addicted to drugs.They have problems at school and get involved in petty crime.Pretty soon, these young people turn to more serious crime, which takes them to prison.They repeat their offences, are given longer sentences and become hardened criminals.

Firstly, Conservatives see the key to reducing youth crime in early intervention.They propose to increase support given to parents, through voluntary and charitable organisations.They consider Government should not legislate on family life.However, they believe the State can and should facilitate voluntary organisations to step in when needed.

Secondly, they would introduce longer, more constructive sentences.

The number of persistent young offenders has increased by nearly 60% since 1997.One quarter of young people in Youth Offender Institutions have been convicted seven or more times.Of young offenders aged 14-17, 84% are reconvicted within two years of release.

Shadow Home Secretary, Oliver Letwin, said, “Young offender institutions are staffed by people who are working hard.”[1]He added, “But when they finish their sentences, they are dumped back into the streets where the gangs and drug dealers, all too often, all too rapidly, reassert control.”[2]

Some 20,000 young people are addicted to heroin and cocaine nationally.

Colin Hill, County Councillor for Minehead commented, ”We must multiply the treatment of heroin and cocaine addicts tenfold.Currently, 600 young adults are dealt with each year for possessing drugs.If they were presented with the choice of treatment or incarceration, we envisage that most would opt for help.There should be no ‘third way’.

“By tackling youth crime, we can become more effective in tackling crime as a whole.Disorderly behaviour, if left unattended is a sign that nobody cares and leads to more serious crime.

“When we fail to tackle youth crime, we fail the young offenders, many of whom need help.We can claim tens of thousands of lives for a decent society.We can save the pain of hundreds of thousands of victims and save millions, if not billions, of pounds for deserving causes.