Comment: HMI of Prisons report Children in Custody 2022/23

​Helen Lincoln, Chair of the ADCS Families, Communities and Young People Policy Committee, said:

“It must not be forgotten that children in conflict with the law are first and foremost children. We should be doing all we can to divert children away from the youth justice system and to ensure it is safe for, and meets the needs of, the children already in contact with it. These children are often amongst the most vulnerable groups in our society and have complex and overlapping needs, many will have mental health issues or have been in care. The aim of any sentence must be to give children an opportunity to resettle into society and break the cycle of reoffending whilst keeping them safe and promoting their mental health and emotional well-being. It is difficult to see how conditions described in this report, such as high levels of self harm, violence and spending long periods of time alone in cells, help achieve these aims. While we understand the need to protect the safety of staff, the introduction of PAVA is seriously concerning and at odds with the government’s stated ‘Child First’ aims. We must do better for children in and on the edge of the youth justice system. “

ENDS

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