THE Home Office will have to jettison the policy under which all young girls sentenced to detention are sent initially to adult women's prisons.

It was ruled unlawful by the High Court after they considered the case in which a 16-year-old girl was sentenced to eight months by Accrington Youth Court for offences which included robbery, assaulting a police officer and disorderly behaviour.

She spent 15 days in Risley Prison, rubbing shoulders with hardened criminals, before being transferred to a prison with facilities for youngsters.

Clearly the Government has got to get its act together in allocating more suitable space for young offenders, particularly girls.

These youngsters are no shrinking violets. The girl sentenced at Accrington was found guilty of serious offences.

But where there is youth there is hope.

Teenagers can be guided back on to the straight and narrow, given the right treatment and facilities.

But locking them away with a bunch of much older and more experienced criminals is akin to encouraging them to continue a life of crime.

They will be corrupted, manipulated and taught all the wrong lessons.

It is sad, and surprising, that it has taken a High Court case to highlight this problem.

The authorities should have recognised it and acted years ago.

We are all for sentences aimed at deterring youngsters with criminal tendencies.

But shutting them up with murderers, arsonists and burglars, even for a short time, is like awarding them an apprenticeship in crime.

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