Numbers of beds commissioned by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) have reduced significantly in recent years as the number of young people in custody has fallen.
But Andrew Neilson warned that until legislation is introduced that sets out the government’s strategy for sustaining decreases in custody levels, decommissioning places could create problems as numbers of young people held in custody could rise again.
Neilson told CYP Now he believes the secure estate population has risen since the start of the year and could continue to rise until clear policies resulting from the rehabilitation green paper are introduced.
"Numbers were dropping very quickly and the YJB was quick to start closing facilities, particularly those with more expensive provision," Neilson said. "[Decommissioning] hasn’t been done in a particularly strategic way and we don’t know when legislation will come into effect as a result of the green paper. We are probably going to see a sustained period of nothing being done and we could see numbers climb again."
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
