MoJ to trial two 'secure schools' and boost youth custody staff numbers
Neil Puffett
Monday, December 12, 2016
Two pilot "secure schools" will be established and numbers of staff in young offender institutions (YOIs) will be boosted by 20 per cent as part of efforts to improve custody, the government has said.
Responding to the long-awaited Taylor review of the youth justice system, published today, the Ministry of Justice said it will develop two "secure schools" - one in the North and one in the South.
It has also set aside £15m to boost the numbers of staff on the operational frontline in YOIs by 20 per cent and will introduce a new youth justice officer role so that staff are specially trained to work with young people.
These officers will be trained on the job or recruited with experience of youth work, social work or teaching.
The government said the plans will "put education and health at the heart of youth custody".
"We will develop a new pre-apprenticeship training pathway that will start in custody and ensure that all children and young people are in education, training or employment on release," the government response to the Taylor report states.
"Each young person will have a dedicated officer who is responsible for challenging and supporting them to reform.
"There will be one officer for every four young people to enable the right level of support. They will work with them on a personal plan to drive improvements in their behaviour, education and health."
The response to the Taylor report also reveals that the MoJ intends to develop additional specialist support units with a higher staff-to-young person ratio to provide enhanced psychological support and guidance to the most challenging and vulnerable young people.
The MoJ said it will also work with local authorities to explore how local areas can be given greater flexibility to improve youth justice services, while it will continue to ringfence grants for the provision of youth justice services within local authority funding.
Justice Secretary Elizabeth Truss said: "I am grateful to Charlie Taylor for his comprehensive and in-depth review, which sets out the stark issues we must tackle to help young offenders to live law-abiding lives.
"Prisons rightly punish people who break the law, but they should also be a place where offenders are reformed.
"While young people are in custody, we need to make sure they get the right education and training so they can lead law-abiding lives - and in turn make our streets and communities safer too.
"The measures I have set out today are the beginning of a series of reforms that will help us cut reoffending, make our communities safer and create a justice system that works for everyone."
