Earlier this month the Centre submitted evidence to the House of Commons Justice Committee’s inquiry into children and young adults in the secure estate.
You can read our submission here.
Our submission draws on our report, Smaller, but tougher: How the criminal justice system is processing young adults (Tuv, 2025), which analyses Ministry of Justice data on prosecution and sentencing for 18–24-year-olds between 2010 and 2024.
The evidence highlights key trends affecting young adults in the justice system:
- Fewer, but longer sentences: While prosecutions and prison sentences for young adults have fallen sharply, those who are imprisoned are now serving significantly longer custodial terms.
- Increasing use of remand: Young adults are more likely to be remanded in custody, even when they do not ultimately receive a prison sentence, raising concerns about proportionality and developmental impact.
- Persistent ethnic disproportionality: Black, Asian, and minority ethnic young adults remain overrepresented in custody, reflecting a series of disparities throughout the criminal justice process.
- Young women on remand: Many young women are remanded in custody despite not receiving an immediate custodial sentence, highlighting ongoing systemic issues flagged in the 2007 Corston Report.
These trends underscore the urgent need for a Young Adults Justice Strategy, a cross-departmental approach to treating 18–25-year-olds as a distinct group, with interventions informed by developmental maturity rather than age alone.
Find out more about our ongoing Smaller but tougher project here.
