Plans for the college, which aimed to double the time young offenders spend in education, have been scrapped due to a 26 per cent drop in the youth custody population from 1,349 in January 2013 to 999 in April 2015.
The plans for the college were introduced by the coalition government in 2014, with the aim of opening in 2017. Chris Grayling, Justice Secretary at the time of the announcement, said the college would tackle the root causes of young people's offences, and prepare them for employment and training upon release.
The Conservative government, however, says the plans have now ceased. “The nature of the challenge has changed,” said prisons minister Andrew Selous in response to a parliamentary question.
“It would not be right to house one third of the entire youth offender population in one setting. It would also be a mistake to press ahead with such a development when resources are so tight,” he said.
The government’s plans for the college, which would have been the first of its kind, were criticised by charities, who said the institution would be too large and the plans to house younger children with teenagers risks presenting safeguarding issues.
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