FOUR of the region's institutions for young offenders are overcrowded, causing distress for inmates, a report has revealed.

Northallerton and Askham Grange, near York, both North Yorkshire, Deerbolt, near Barnard Castle, and women's prison Low Newton, Durham, both County Durham, all suffer from overcrowding, with some prisoners sharing one-person cells.

The report, published by the Prison Reform Trust and Community Care magazine, revealed that at the end of August Northallerton was overcrowded by 152 per cent, Low Newton by 88 per cent, Deerbolt by 85 per cent and Askham Grange by 80 per cent.

It criticised the Government for condemning young people to a life of crime with inadequate rehabilitation services, and frequently moving prisoners among institutions, causing distress and disruption.

It found nearly three quarters of offenders are reconvicted within two years of release.

Many spend up to 20 hours locked in shared cells designed for one person, forcing them to use the toilet in front of their cellmate and eat meals in cramped, unhygienic conditions.

Deerbolt and Askham Grange did not have cellmates locked together in a cell designed for one, but Northallerton had 68.2 per cent of inmates sharing cells only meant for one person and Low Newton had 28.7 per cent.

Enver Solomon, of the Prison Reform Trust, said: "Young adults in prison should be a high priority for the Government. Their time in custody is critical if they are to be turned away from a life of crime.

"Yet this report has shown that they have been so neglected they have effectively become a lost generation within in the prison system."

It also found, because of a lack of investment, few activity or learning programmes met the needs of the young people and they often spent hours locked in cells.

A Lost Generation: the experiences of young people in prison, found only six institutions in Britain provided an average of 30 hours or more of purposeful activity a week.

Askham Grange offered 41.4 hours, Deerbolt 20.5 hours, Low Newton 24.6 and Northallerton provided 22.2.

* The number of juveniles in jail will fall by ten per cent under targets set by the Government's Youth Punishment agency yesterday.

The Youth Justice Board wants the number of children aged ten to 17 in prison to fall by about 280 from the current level of 3,209.