Britain19 September, 20262 min read
Jake Richards Says Parents In England And Wales Could Face Prison Or Lose Benefits
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Plans to expand parenting orders could jail parents or cut benefits. Youth Justice Minister Jake Richards says parents should be proportionately held accountable.
5 outlets told this the same way.
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New parenting order powers
Parents in England and Wales could lose benefits or face prison sentences for their children’s crimes under reforms to the youth justice system, Youth Justice Minister Jake Richards said. Richards told the Times that the youth justice system “should hold parents to account in a proportionate way for ensuring that they play their role in keeping communities safe”. The government’s plans would strengthen and expand Parenting Orders, which can compel parents or guardians to address a child’s behaviour by attending counselling sessions or face fines of up to £1,000. Richards said prison would apply only “in the most extreme cases” and would be up to judges’ discretion, describing the approach as a “carrot-and-stick” strategy.
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Critics and Lammy
The BBC reported that critics argue voluntary engagement is generally more effective than penalising parents, and it quoted Jess Mullen, chief executive of the Alliance for Youth Justice, questioning how putting parents in prison would provide “stability or support for the child”. The BBC also said then Justice Secretary David Lammy told BBC Breakfast that strengthening parenting orders would mean “there are real consequences for parents and carers who wilfully fail to support efforts to address their children's behaviour”. Lammy said that if a parent was struggling, the “judge can intervene to make sure that the young person is getting the support that they need and the parent is doing the best that they can”. Government statistics cited by the BBC show parenting orders declined from more than 1,000 orders in 2009/10 to just 33 in 2022/23, while the Sentencing Council sets a maximum £1,000 fine for breach of a parenting order.
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Southport inquiry and age
The BBC linked the reforms to Phase One of the Southport Inquiry report, which found “catastrophic” failures by the parents of the Southport killer Axel Rudakubana and various agencies, meaning clear chances to prevent the 2024 child murders were missed. In the interview with the Times, Richards rejected calls from lawyers to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10, arguing it would undermine “public faith” in the justice system and that it was “not a priority at all”. The BBC also said the Bar Council in June argued the threshold should rise to 14, and it reported that the United Nations has previously pointed out the UK has some of the lowest ages of criminal responsibility in the world and that it should rise it to the UN recommendation of at least 14. The Star added that Richards, the Rotherham MP for Rother Valley, said the Government would put the onus on parents to do more and that they would be “held to account” if they did not.
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