Parents could face losing their benefits, paying fines, and even face prison sentences for their children’s crimes under reforms to the youth justice system, a minister has said.
It comes after the government set out plans in May to fortify Parenting Orders, to increase parental accountability for youth anti-social behaviour and child offences.
These legal instruments currently allow parents to be mandated into counselling or guidance to address their child’s conduct, or face financial penalties.
In an interview with The Times, Youth Justice minister Jake Richards said the system “should hold parents to account in a proportionate way for ensuring that they play their role in keeping communities safe”.
He said he wants parents to be “more involved and that comes with responsibilities as well”, as he added that prison sentences would only be applied to “in the most extreme cases” and would be up to judges’ discretion.
Many experts have criticised the reforms, describing them as “ineffective”.
Nikki Rutter, an assistant professor in the department of sociology at Durham University, told the BBC in July that “poverty is inextricably linked to a lot of criminal activity”.
She added: “The more you’re fining parents, the less money they’ve got. The less money the family have, we’re seeing a further dive into poverty.”
Earlier this year, the former justice secretary David Lammy unveiled a new Youth Justice White Paper which proposed significant reforms to the youth justice system, aiming to deter young people from crime by increasing accountability for parents and carers.
The plans were made following a dramatic decline in their use from over a thousand in 2009/10 to just 33 in the last financial year.
The proposals also include piloting new youth intervention courts, which will combine judges and support services to address underlying issues leading to youth crime, and provide tailored health and education interventions for young offenders.
Further plans championed by Mr Lammy involve an annual £15.4 million investment over three years to support 12,000 children at risk of entering the youth justice system, alongside a consultation on ending the lifelong disclosure requirement for childhood criminal convictions.
Courts are currently required to consider issuing a Parenting Order where a child under 16 has been convicted of an offence.
They can also consider an order for 16 and 17-year-olds if they believe this would help prevent further offences.
The term of the order must not exceed 12 months and breach of a parenting order is a criminal offence with a maximum £1,000 fine, according to the Sentencing Council.
