Last July, the Ministry of Justice changed the law on how restraint in STCs could be used, broadening it to include "good order and discipline". Prior to then, it could only be used to stop escapes, assaults or damage. Campaigners argued the change increased the potential for restraint to be used in STCs.
But the Court of Appeal ruled on Monday (28 July) that the changes violated the European Convention on Human Rights. It also said the children's commissioner should have been consulted prior to the changes and ordered the government to reverse them immediately.
STCs are privately run prisons that hold young offenders who are too vulnerable to be held in Prison Service-run institutions. The decision could also affect restraint usage in other settings, such as schools.
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