Children’s Commissioner
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Press Notice: Children in youth custody ‘failed before they arrive’, trapping them in a cycle of disadvantage
A new report from the Children’s Commissioner has revealed children in prison have been failed by multiple services long before they arrive in custody, and their time in the justice system worsens their disadvantages and limits future opportunities.
- New report tracks the stories of children before and during their time in youth custody and the shared disadvantages they face
- Many shared the challenges they faced long before custody – disrupted education, low English and maths skills, unmet additional needs and high levels of exclusion, compounded by poverty
- Children’s Commissioner calls for a rehaul of youth justice system, with a greater emphasis on rehabilitation over punishment, putting education at its core
Dame Rachel de Souza’s report examines children’s experiences before and during their time in youth custody, identifying where children last attended school before their time in prison. More than one third (36%) were most recently enrolled at registered education settings in the West Midlands, and 18% at settings in Birmingham alone. 20% of children attended just six educational settings in England.
The Commissioner’s report captures for the first time data that tells the stories of the multiple challenges children in secure settings often experience in their lives, from education, poverty, and unmet additional needs.
Like most children, those living in the secure estate recognise education can transform their future, but many struggle to access consistent high-quality education while in custody.
The Children’s Commissioner is calling for urgent reforms to the youth justice system, prioritising rehabilitation over punishment, and ensuring education plays a central role in helping children rebuild their lives.
At any given time, around 400 children are held in just 14 youth settings of differing structures and quality in England and Wales. Their experiences reveal systemic failures with many having been let down by services at every stage of their lives.
Click here for the full press release
Original article link: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/blog/press-notice-children-in-youth-custody-failed-before-they-arrive-trapping-them-in-a-cycle-of-disadvantage/
