Neurotic disorders

Characteristics of the sampled young offenders j)
moderate and just over a third light. In the 12 hospital and (1%) of this sample of young
months before entering prison 59% of the young offenders had been admitted to a locked ward or
offenders had a drink at least 2 or 3 times a week secure unit. (Tables 2.9 to 2.10)
including 31% who drank 4 or more times a week.
In that same twelve month period, 86% of male
sentenced young offenders had used illicit drugs. 2.5 Femalesentenced youngoffenders
The proportion who reported using drugs in the
month before the current prison term was slightly Ethnicityandmantelstatus(pastandcurrent)
lower, at 72%. (Tables Z5 to 2.7)
Custodialcharacteristics
Among the female sentenced group, the
distribution by ethnicity was very similar to that
for male young offenders: 79% classified
themselves as White and 16% as Black. About two
As would be expected, on average, male sentenced thirds of the female sentenced young offenders
young offenders had been in prison longer than were single both before prison and at interview. As
their remand counterparts. However, over half with the male young offenders, t/_e proportion of
(55%) of the male sentenced young offenders had sentenced female young offenders who regarded
been inmates for less than 6 months, and only 1 in themselves as cohabiting at the time of the
5 had been in prison for a year or more. A quarter interview was lower than those who said they were
(24%) of young offenders had been given a cohabiting before entering prison (24% and 31%
sentence of less than a year, 59% h_id sentences of 1 respectively). (Table 2. I)
to 3 years, 15% had been sentenced for 4 to 9 years
and the remaining 2% had terms of 10 years or
more. The offences for which they were convicted Education, employment and housing
had a similar distribution to the offences with
which remand young offenders were charged, with Two thirds of the sample of female sentenced
one exception: only 8% of sentenced male young young offenders had no educational qualifications
offenders were held for theft compared with 21% and three tenths had O levels, CSE or GCSE as their
of those on remand. The largest proportion of male highest qualification. Looking at their employment
sentenced young offenders (82%) were in Young prior to entering prison, 28% said the), were
Offender Institutions, with only 7% in Closed working and 30% stated they were unemployed,
Category C prisons, 6% in local prisons and the including 19% who were looking for work (a
remaining 5% in Open prisons. (Table 2.8) smaller proportion than for men in the sample).
Fifteen percent said they were living off crime, 8%
were looking after their family, and 5% rated
Health themselves as long term sick. Female sentenced
young offenders were most likely to be living in
Male sentenced young offenders were much more rented accommodation (44%) - a higher
positive in their evaluation of their general health proportion than for their male counterparts of
than remand young offenders: 79% of the former whom 27% were living in rented properties.
group compared with 66% of the latter group said Similarly, only a third (35%) were living with
their general health was good or very good. parents etc., compared with 44% of male sentenced
However, the proportions who said they had a young offenders, although this difference does not
limiting long-standing illness or reported their reach statistical significance. (Tables 2.2 to 2.4)
health had restricted their activity in the last two
weeks were very similar. In response to the more
specific questions about their mental health, 11% Lifestyle
of sentenced young offenders said they had
received help or treatment before entering prison At the time of the interview, 91% of female
and 14% said the)" had received such help or sentenced young offenders were smokers. Overall,
treatmentsince coming to prison. Overall, 4% of 32% of the sample were heavy smokers, with a
male sentenced young offenders reported that at further 37% moderate smokers. In the 12 months
one time they had been admitted to a mental before entering prison 46% of the female sentenced