
The call for a different approach to offenders aged between 18 and 25, comes from the Howard League for Penal Reform, which claims this group of prisoners is particularly vulnerable to risk of harm. The category includes 18- to 21-year-olds in young offender institutions (YOIs).
Between 2006 and 2016, 164 young adult prisoners died in custody, 136 of whom took their own life, said the charity.
Young adults also need to be treated as a distinct group as their brains are still developing, in particular in terms of decision making and controlling impulses that affect criminal behaviour, said the charity.
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