CYP Now - Review sets out reforms to painful restraint use but stops short of calling for outright ban

A long-awaited review of the pain-inducing restraint in the youth justice system has stopped short of recommending an outright ban on the use of such techniques.

Charlie Taylor has made 15 recommendations for improvements to the use of restraint against children

However, the Independent review of pain-inducing techniques in the youth secure estate by former chair of the Youth Justice Board Charlie Taylor sets out a series of reforms that could change the culture of behaviour management in the youth secure estate to one where painful techniques are used only in exceptional circumstances.

During his 12-month review, Taylor says that he “frequently witnessed…the overuse of painful techniques” by staff in young offender institutions, secure training centres and secure children’s homes.

A key factor in this, he concludes in his report, is the inclusion of painful techniques in the Minimising and Managing Painful Restraint (MMPR) syllabus, the key training programme for officers in the youth secure estate.

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