He was locked in his cell for over 22 hours a day, sometimes for more than 15 consecutive days. The court accepted that during times when he had no education, “the lack of mental and physical activity contributed to his frustration and so to his disruptive behaviour”.
In response to this judgement, rather than change the practice of separating children, the Prison Service simply changed the rules. The new rule included oversight arrangements for all children spending more than 22 hours a day locked-up. In theory, this oversight would improve activities and conditions during separation.
But when inspectors carried out a review earlier this year, many safeguards were inconsistent, with no meaningful impact on the time that separated children spent locked-up or on the education they received.
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