Nick Clegg has attacked plans by Tory justice minister Chris Grayling to automatically jail offenders convicted twice for possessing a knife.
The deputy prime minister dismissed it as a "headline-grabbing" policy that would do more harm than good.
Writing in the Guardian, he suggested the policy could turn young offenders into hardened criminals.
Mr Grayling is pushing for mandatory six-month jail terms for adults convicted twice for carrying a knife.
His policy has the backing of several Conservative ministers but Lib Dem ministers are thought to be against it. Prime Minister David Cameron has not yet revealed whether he will formally support the idea.
"Start Quote
End Quote Nick Clegg Deputy Prime MinisterInstead of prison, we need to divert vulnerable people away from gang culture"
Mr Clegg suggested Mr Grayling's plan, leaked to the press last week, was a "headline-grabbing" solution following the murder of the Leeds schoolteacher Ann Maguire, who was stabbed to death in front of her pupils.
The Liberal Democrat leader said that by trying to sound tough, politicians could end up making the situation worse.
"When someone is caught carrying a knife, we need to do something about it," he wrote in the newspaper.
"But six months in prison is not always the right answer."
'Hardened criminals'Mr Clegg said the policy, which seeks automatically to sentence someone to a minimum six months in prison the second time they are caught with a knife - "even a penknife, in your pocket" - could harm rehabilitation prospects.
"Start Quote
End Quote Nick Clegg Deputy Prime MinisterTurning the young offenders of today into the hardened criminals of tomorrow is not the answer"
"Imagine a vulnerable young girl hanging round with members of a gang. She could be forced into carrying a knife by another gang member; it happens a lot," Mr Clegg said.
When stopped by the police, the girl may not mention that she was forced to to carry the knife for fear of retribution, he said.
"Putting someone like that into prison could push them into the arms of hardened criminals, and let the gang leaders off the hook," Mr Clegg said.
"Instead of prison, we need to divert vulnerable people away from gang culture."
'Step backwards'The deputy prime minister said prison was the right option for violent offenders - but judges should be allowed to use their expertise and judgement in deciding on individual cases.
He said minimum sentencing might "sound attractive in media headlines" but there was a "serious risk" it could undermine the role of judges.
"This is why I believe this proposed law would be a step backwards," Mr Clegg added.
More than 25 Tory MPs are said to be backing the mandatory six-month jail term policy for adults convicted of a second offence involving a knife.
The move is understood to have the support of prominent Conservative Party members including Home Secretary Theresa May and Education Secretary Michael Gove.
Speaking last week, Mr Gove said the government had to send a "very clear signal" that knife crime would not be tolerated.
"It is absolutely important that we use Parliament to communicate to the public - and to anyone tempted to carry a knife in public - that the sentence for behaving in this way will be clear and firm and tough," he said.
Labour has not yet made clear whether it will support the plan when it is brought before the House of Commons.
But Mr Clegg said, if it does, the party would be "playing politics with this issue".
He said if Labour backed the proposal it would be "clear that they have learned nothing from their time in government, when they let the prison population spiral out of control".
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