24 OCTOBER 1958, Page 21

JUVENILE CRIME

SIR,—Mr. E. P. Hibbcrt expresses the views of a great many people when he maintains that birching is the most effective way of persuading young offen- ders not to come back for more. These views, how- ever, are not borne opt by the facts. A careful govern- ment inquiry, examining the records of young offen- ders who had been birched, shows that approximately four out of five were charged again' within two years, ;Ind one out of four actually within one month of Niving been birched. This proportion of the charges is very much higher than that of youths dealt with by other methods.—Yours faithfully,

ilowa yl League for Penal Reform, HUGH KLARE Parliament Mansions, Abbey Orchard Street, SW!