AT last, someone has admitted the youth justice system is a waste of time ("'Youth justice is a joke' - crime addict", September 22).

The legal system in its various forms (police, lawyers, Crown Prosecution Service and courts) should squirm at the revelations and admissions in Matthew Woodcock's interview with an "addicted criminal".

What puzzles me is what are the "legal reasons" which prevent this, and other, career criminals from being identified?

Why should we not be made aware of their presence in our midst?

Reading Matthew's report confirms what has been suspected for a long time - the police seem to have handed over the streets to the criminals and the courts, with their pathetic sentencing policy, are a waste of space.

A Dobinson,

Askham Lane, York.

...YOUR addicted to crime article seemed to be an encouragement to the "hang 'em and flog 'em" brigade. This is unfortunate.

If you are advocating that this youngster should have been jailed years ago, I strongly disagree.

If he had been put into an institution he may have been prevented from committing some minor crimes while he was inside, but would most probably have come out a hardened criminal who would have been far more professional and less likely to have been caught.

It sounds as if the present regime he is going through is having an effect and forcing him to consider how his crimes have been affecting his victims.

Putting youngsters in our grossly- overcrowded jails is not the answer.

We need to make sure there is a high chance that criminals are caught, and combine this with creative alternatives to prison.

Many of these alternatives have been shown to work far better than incarceration. They are also much cheaper.

Sara Robin,

Wentworth Road,

York.

...I DON'T see how you can give coverage to the west York teenager who claims he has been let down by the police and the law and portray him as the innocent party.

To say the system let him down and that he is a crime addict (a new illness I had not heard of before) just feeds his ego.

He had a choice about his actions. He had free will. He chose not to conform to society's basic rules.

If any one has been let down it is his victims.

West York resident,

Name and address supplied.

Updated: 10:21 Thursday, September 25, 2003