The government's decision to accept the recommendation of a review to ban the use of young offender institutions (YOI) for girls with immediate effect has been widely welcomed by youth justice campaigners.
However, they say the long-called-for measure, rather than being seen as a quick fix for improving outcomes for detained girls, should be a starting point for wider reforms to how the justice system responds to female young offenders.
The ban was among recommendations made in an independent review by Youth Justice Board (YJB) member Susannah Hancock into the health issues facing girls in custody, especially threats to their mental health.
“The review found that despite tireless efforts of staff involved in their care, YOIs cannot offer the therapeutic, trauma-informed support these girls need,” stated the government in its response to the review.
Girls had previously been placed in Wetherby YOI but the government said they will now be placed in “settings more suited to their needs” such as Oakhill secure training centre (STC), the Oasis Restore secure school and secure children's homes.
Self-harm incidents
That YOIs fail to adequately meet girls' needs is perhaps because they make up just 2% of the youth custody population. Despite this, they account for more than half of self-harm incidents, a key concern highlighted by youth justice professionals who responded to the review.
Andy Bell, chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, says girls in the youth secure estate have high levels of trauma “and need to be in safe places where their needs are understood, and they can get the right support”.
He adds: “We hope the review's other recommendations will be acted on with the same seriousness so that girls' needs are met throughout the youth justice system. This should include action to reduce the use of custody wherever it can be avoided and ensuring that girls are placed in environments that are suitable to them, with fully trained and supported staff, and expert mental health care on hand.”
Jess Mullen, chief executive of the Alliance for Youth Justice, says the government's decision to end YOI placements is a “significant victory” but calls for other measures in the report – including ending the use of STCs for girls – to be implemented (see box).
She adds: “The government must develop a comprehensive model for girls in contact with the justice system that addresses [their] specific vulnerabilities and commit to a future where custody is a genuine last resort for all children.”
Gender-specific needs
Helen Beresford, Nacro director of external engagement, agrees. “It is imperative that the government ensures that a national trauma-informed and gender-responsive approach is embedded into any framework for girls in contact with the criminal justice system,” she says. “To ensure the gender-specific needs of these girls are effectively met will require an aligned approach across different agencies including the Youth Custody Service, Department for Education and National Health Service to work in effective partnership together.”
A report last year by the Prisons Inspectorate into Wetherby YOI found girls were receiving less time out of their cells than boys, 155 instances of restraint by staff and an example of a girl being strip searched by male officers.
Gemma Abbott, legal director at the Howard League for Penal Reform, says: “It was never right to place girls in a prison for boys, and we are relieved that the government has announced that it will never happen again. But there is more to do. The review is right to call for an end to the use of STCs for girls by 2029, and it is vital that we keep working to make sure this becomes a reality.”
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
- Cease use of the Oakhill STC when the contract ends in 2029
- Development of an evidence-based pathway for girls in secure accommodation that is gender responsive and trauma-informed
- Establish a Girls Justice Strategic Board and Ministry of Justice strategic lead
- Create community-based alternatives to custody including community secure provision, and multi-dimensional intensive fostering placements.
Source: Delivering the best for girls in custody, March 2025
