This report presents findings of a study on the childhood and family backgrounds of 1,435 participants who were newly incarcerated in 2005 and 2006 in the United Kingdom. The study also looked at the participants’ current family relationships (including relationships with children). The report has a special focus on the experiences of abuse and care placement in childhood. Among its findings, the report states that 24% of the participants reported having been in care in childhood. “Those who had been in care were younger when they were first arrested, and were more likely to be reconvicted in the year after release from custody than those who had never been in care,” says the report. Many of the participants had also experienced abuse in childhood.
Ministry of Justice Research Series 4/12
