Michael Tomlinson MP has welcomed the news that arrests of children have fallen by 54% in the last four years, police data obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform revealed. Figures in Dorset are even better with a huge 67% decrease since 2010.Figures confirmed the success of a long- running Howard League programme of work to keep as many children as possible out of the criminal justice system. Every police service in England and Wales made fewer child arrests in 2014 than 2010, The sharp reduction in arrests has also led to a significant fall in the number of children in prison- down by 56% since January 2010.
Michael, who is a barrister, welcomes this news. “This is excellent progress and it is good to see that Dorset is once again performing well. The police work very hard to keep us safe, but it is also true that prison has a long term effect on young people so I am pleased to see these figures fall.”