Editorial: There are better alternatives to custody

Only those who were present know exactly what happened and it would be fruitless to speculate. Police inquiries are under way and the Youth Justice Board has instigated a review into the incident. At this stage it seems the report may not be made public, although its main findings probably will (see p5).

In general, the board has succeeded in reducing the number of deaths of young people in custody. What makes the tragic events surrounding the death of Myatt even more unfortunate is that he is the first young inmate to die within a secure training centre. The centre in question, Rainsbrook, had previously received good inspection reports, and the staff involved had apparently been taught appropriate restraint and control techniques for dealing with young people.