New statistics show record lows in children entering the justice system and in custody. Yet court delays and the high use of remand risk undermining progress.
The Youth Justice Statistics for England and Wales for 2024 to 2025, published today (29 January), show continued success in keeping children out of the justice system, alongside growing pressures that risk undermining progress.
Fewer children than ever before are entering the youth justice system for the first time, and there are record lows in children in custody, reflecting sustained prevention, diversion and community-based responses.
However, for the smaller cohort of children who do enter the system, their experience is becoming slower and more complex. This is intensified by record court delays (from offence to completion), continued high use of remand and persistent racial disparities remain critical challenges.
These annual figures provide a comprehensive evidence base to understand how children move through the justice system and can be used to inform joined-up decision making and policy.
Key findings
- First-time entrants fell to a record low of 8,100, and the average number of children in custody fell by 3% (from 431 to 418) - the lowest level on record.
- Prevention and diversion are working, with sustained reductions in arrests, first-time entrants and custodial use, and high levels of no-further-action outcomes following police contact.
- Court delays reached a record high, with an average of 230 days from offence to completion, delaying support for children and justice for victims.
- Custodial remand remains over-used, with 62% (around 6 in 10) of children remanded not going on to receive a custodial sentence.
- Police contact with children continues to fall, with stop and searches down 7% (from around 103,300 to 95,900) and arrests down 2% (from around 59,200 to 58,300).
- Disproportionality persists, with Black and Mixed ethnicity children remaining over-represented and the proportion of Mixed ethnicity children in custody nearly doubling over the past 10 years (from around 10% to 18%).
- Reoffending patterns are mixed, with the overall rate falling by 0.7 percentage points (from 32.5% to 31.8%), but the frequency of reoffending rising to a 10-year high (from 4.35 to 4.44 reoffences per child who reoffends).
- Worrying trends show that knife and offensive weapon offences, including possession, increased by 2% (from around 3,600 to 3,700) and proven sexual offences rising for the third consecutive year (up 6%, from around 1,400 to 1,500).
