Coronavirus restrictions in youth jails ‘impacting children’s wellbeing’

A study by HMI Prisons (HMIP) found that restrictions introduced in March 2020 had stopped almost all activities that afford young people time out of their cell each day including work, education, rehabilitative courses, the chapel, the gym and library, with time out of cell typically limited to as little as 45 minutes a day at the start of the pandemic.

Inspectors found that being forced to spend so much time in their cells had caused issues with loneliness, boredom and anxiety. One child told inspectors how the lack of activity affected his mental health.

"It was like my life had gone to waste, I had nothing to do, absolutely nothing to do – couldn’t run – a feeling I’ve never felt in my life," the child said.

"It felt like I forgot myself, cos I was hardly talking… in my pad for that long I’d end up counting myself to sleep… I’d be that bored… cos I’d been in my pad for that long, I was counting every day, I’d count my toes, I’d count my fingers, I’d count my hands… I’d sit on my bed thinking, why am I counting? It felt like I forgot myself."

Although inspectors noted significant decreases in violence in light of the restrictions, children reported that it had started to take place in different locations, typically classrooms, which reopened last summer allowing children to participate in part time education for around five hours a day.