Inspectorate report finds woeful safety in youth offender institutions
A prisons inspectorate report has found woeful safety and standards in youth offender institutions in England and Wales, with high violence and inadequate education.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A prisons inspectorate report has found woeful standards in youth custody across England and Wales. Inspectors looked at the experiences of 12 to 18 year olds in four young offender institutions. They found widespread safety fears, from verbal abuse to physical assault.
The report says there have been some small improvements, but overall standards remain woeful and violence is too high. Children told inspectors that most young people are carrying makeshift weapons to protect themselves because they are afraid. This includes rocks stuffed into socks, razor blades and plastic knives, or anything else they can get hold of.
Assault figures were stark. At Feltham, described as the most violent young offender institution, there were 400 assaults in a year. At Werrington there were more than 300, many of which required hospital treatment. Violence was not only between children; assaults on staff were also reported.
Time out of cells had improved in a couple of institutions, but in others children spent no more than four hours a day out of their cells. The quality of education and skills work was rated inadequate at all three English young offender institutions. It was rated good at Parc. Inspectors said that if part of the purpose of custody is to make children better citizens when they leave, that is not happening.
The report rejected some common explanations for poor conditions. Overcrowding is not the issue: all the institutions are running well below capacity and the number of children in custody has never been lower. Money is not the issue either. Keeping around 400 children in custody costs around £200 million a year, yet inspectors said the basics are still not right.
Problems identified in the report include too many managers, officers who are not adequately trained, and the regular use of force. The report holds up Parc as an example. It is not perfect, but standards are good and children are given the boundaries, care and support they need. Inspectors said the wider youth custody service would do well to learn from Parc. That point has been made before, raising the question of why the lessons are not being applied elsewhere.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the government is developing a plan to make the youth estate safer and to create an environment where rehabilitation can succeed.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 4 |
|---|---|
| A prisons inspectorate report found poor standards in youth custody across England and Wales. | |
| Education and skills work was rated inadequate at all three English young offender institutions and good at Parc. | |
| The report recorded about 400 assaults in a year at Feltham and more than 300 at Werrington, with many requiring hospital treatment. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 4 led its coverage on the inspectorate's bleak findings, stressing that the report is depressingly similar to last year's and that violence remains high. It highlighted children carrying makeshift weapons and gave specific assault figures for Feltham and Werrington. It also made the point that overcrowding and money are not the problem, pointing to low occupancy and the £200 million annual cost.
- “Well, news is supposed to tell you something that is new but this report is depressingly similar to last year's and the outlook for children in custody remains stubbornly bleak.”
- “Children told inspectors that most young people are carrying makeshift weapons to try and protect themselves because they're afraid.”
- “Keeping around 400 children in custody is costing around £200 million a year and yet the inspector says they can't even get the basics right.”
Broadcast Timeline
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