Don't Punish Children?

There's an article in The Guardian today about the Children's Commissioner who is who wants to stop young offenders from the recent riots being named by the media. I'm admittedly pretty much in agreement on that issue. Any information released by the press can lead to a trial being thrown out. It actually benefits the victims of the riots if information about these offenders remains confidential.

I am much more concerned by the Children's Commissioner's expressed principle that: "a child shall only ever be arrested or put in prison as a last resort and for the shortest possible time".

Why am I concerned about this?

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