CYP Now - MoJ publishes plans to improve 'unsafe' YOI

Staff at Feltham Young Offender institution (YOI) will receive extra training as part of efforts to address dangerous conditions, while the number of young people held there will continue to be limited until improvements are made, the government has said.

Last month the government announced a temporary ban on Feltham A taking new inmates after an inspection found young people were being held there in "appalling" and "unsafe" conditions.

Chief inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke said that "significant and enduring support" should be provided to the YOI by government agencies, following an escalation in violence and self-harm.

An action plan published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) shows that the operational capacity at Feltham A has been reduced and new placements have been temporarily paused to assist improvement measures and refurbishment initiatives. The establishment can hold up to 140 young people, mainly aged 16 and 17.

"Placements will resume when the prison group director and governor judge that the establishment has achieved the necessary operational stability and can offer a full regime to all children," the action plan states.

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