The Home Office Research Studies are reports on research undertaken by or on behalf of the Home Office. They cover the range of subjects for which the Home Secre t a ry has re s p o n s i b i l i t y. Other publications produced by the Research, Development and Statistics include Findings, Statistical Bulletins and Statistical Papers. RDS is part of the Home Office. RDS staff are embedded within delivery groups working closely with front-line staff. The HO Chief Scientific Advisor, who is also Director of RDS, oversees p rofessional development for RDS teams, quality assurance and strategic R & D issues. The Home Off i c e 's purpose is to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced and the p rotection and security of the public are maintained. RDS includes staff within the Government Statistical Service (GSS). One of the GSS aims is to i n f o rm Parliament and the members of the public about the state of the nation and provide a window on the work and perf o rmance of government, allowing the impact of govern m e n t policies and actions to be assessed. T h e re f o re-R e s e a rch Development and Statistics in the Home Office improves policy making, decision taking and practice in support of the Home Office purpose and aims, to provide the public and Parliament with information necessary for informed debate and to publish information for future use.

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The Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development is a prospective longitudinal survey of 411 London males from 8 to 32 years. Up to age 32, just 24 — termed ‘chronic offenders’ in this paper — committed half of all the recorded offences. This paper documents their criminal and penal histories. Nearly all were sent to a penal institution at some stage. When asked about the effects of penal treatment, most thought that it had had no effect or that it had made them less likely to reoffend. The chronic offenders differed markedly from the non‐chronic offenders and from non‐offenders in childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Generally, chronic offenders were leading more dysfunctional lives in adulthood. The most important childhood risk factors for chronic offending were troublesomeness, daring, a delinquent sibling and a convicted parent. Most of the chronics might have been predicted at age 10 on the basis of troublesome behaviour or social background features. Vulnerable males who did not become convicted offenders tended to be socially isolated and to be living relatively unsuccessful lives at age 32. Hence ameliorative treatment might be justified for almost all high‐risk boys identifiable at age 10.

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