Tragic deaths in custody point to a system in need of reform

3 May 2011 1 min read Ravi Chandiramani Youth Justice Editorial

Five young people in custody died in the space of just 33 days during March and April. The tragedies mark an exceptionally horrific spell in the youth prison system. To put it in context, no more than five teenagers have died in custody during any entire year since 2005, when the figure was nine.

Society and media will never pay much attention to the welfare of teenagers who are deeply troubled and deeply troublesome, only their misdemeanours. On the day that 17-year-old Ryan Clark's (barely reported) suicide at Wetherby young offender institution emerged, the front pages dripped with outrage over pictures of the damaged face of four-year-old Jersey-Lou Perry after a "teenage yob" had hurled a brick at her. It was a terrible act, granted, but given the non-reporting of Ryan Clark, highlighted the warped sense of perspective.

The circumstances surrounding each of the five deaths, all as a result of hanging themselves, are thus far unknown so we should be careful about drawing firm conclusions. But nor should this spate of suicides be explained away as some sort of statistical freak.

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