A report by the organisation's committee for the prevention of torture called for "effective measures to address the lack of safety and high levels of violence" to be prioritised in both the youth secure estate and adult prisons. It also calls for the end of solitary confinement.
The report comes as a new body has been handed responsibility for commissioning and overseeing the youth secure estate from the Youth Justice Board (YJB).
The report said that while the committee welcomed the reduction in the number of juveniles detained in England and Wales from 2,905 at the time of its last visit in 2008, to 882 in March 2016, the reduction in numbers has resulted in a greater concentration of young people with the most complex needs being held in custody, notably in young offender institutions.
It said that between 2013 and 2015, there has been an increase in the number of assaults and deaths, including self-inflicted deaths of young persons in prison, three of whom were juveniles. It also notes that the increase in violence in the young person custody estate has come under sustained scrutiny and widespread criticism from a variety of stakeholders.
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