Youth justice roundup: Violence, solitary confinement, and bail changes

Levels of violence at the last G4S-run youth custody unit have been "very high" and the number of times staff have used force has doubled in the past year, according to an inspection report. The Guardian reports that Ofsted inspectors visiting Oakhill secure training centre near Milton Keynes witnessed staff "struggling to maintain order and control" and a subsequent "over-reliance on more extreme measures … including a high level of the use of force".


The High Court is to hear an urgent challenge over a teenage boy's "prolonged solitary confinement" in prison after it emerged he has been locked in his cell for more than 23 hours a day. The Independent reports that the Howard League for Penal Reform announced that the High Court has agreed to hear its judicial review action on behalf of the child, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, but is serving his sentence in Feltham Prison in west London. It is not known what offence he committed or the length of his sentence, but according to the charity, the boy has been "permitted no contact with any other child" during the "short periods out of his cell".


Changes to the pre-charge bail procedures are due to come into force next month. The Youth Justice Board has said that the changes will affect how practitioners working in a youth offending team use police bail for things such as assessment completion and for attendance at triage or bureau panels.  The new legislation directs police away from using pre-charge bail. Instead there is a presumption in favour of releasing a suspect without bail, with bail only being imposed when it is both "necessary and proportionate".