ANGUS COUNCILLORS have voiced support for an end to the police serving unruly certificates on children under 16 which can result in them being sent to prison.

Members of the council’s social work and health committee have unanimously backed a report arguing in favour of a positive approach of attempting to rehabilitate young offenders in their community rather than focusing on punishment.

The Scottish Government announced plans in February to abolish the legislation that allows children appearing on a charge in the criminal justice system to be remanded to a young offenders’ institution.

Consultation with local authorities on the best way to implement the change has just ended.

As things stand, offenders under 16 who require to be detained by either the local authority (on recommendation of the children’s panel) or the court, will be placed in a secure unit designed to meet their needs as vulnerable children.

But unruly certificates allow for children aged 14 and 15 years appearing on a charge before a criminal court to be remanded in prison custody.

Ministers have decided to act to remove this provision in light of concerns about the detention of children in prison facilities.

The Scottish Government considers the change to be consistent with its commitment to the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

A joint response from the directors of social work and health and education states, “Angus Council supports the principle of placing children in secure accommodation as opposed to young offenders’ institutions or prison.

“These proposals mirror Angus Council’s own approach to maintaining young people’s placement in the community when possible, while recognising that secure accommodation will always be required for a very small group of children and young people who are persistently absconding and presenting significant risk to themselves or others.

“Research has long demonstrated that young people under 16 who commit an offence are much less likely to offend in the future if we adopt an approach that promotes their welfare rather than one focused on punishing them.”

Forfar councillor Glennis Middleton said, “It is completely inappropriate that young people are imprisoned. It is not good for them in any way.

“But I think it is also important for future funding that we know how many young people we have in secure units who might have been subject to an unruly certificate had the police or sheriff not been aware of the provision we have in Angus.

“Secure units cost a humungus amount of money and I think they should be funded by national government and not the local authorities.”