Ross Little became chair of the National Association of Youth Justice (NAYJ) in July. The organisation's members advocate for children in conflict with the law. Its latest report The State of Youth Custody, written by Tim Bateman, calls for children in custody to be held in secure children's homes rather than young offender institutions or secure training centres.
There have been concerns over violence in the youth estate recently. Is government doing enough to protect young people in custody?
No. There have been concerns about violence in the youth estate for many years.
The government unfortunately has only been seen to act on those rare occasions where serious wrongdoing is captured on camera and televised to a large audience. For example, the BBC Panorama documentary on Medway Secure Training Centre at the beginning of the year. The welfare of children in prison is not really felt to be something that broader society cares about and does not tend to be a resource priority.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
