But while children and young people are having an increasing say in manyareas, their voices are noticeably quiet when it comes to youth justice- especially regarding the question of custody. Whether offenders ornot, young people have a right to express themselves and participate indecisions that affect them.
While secure centres are making great strides in increasing youngpeople's involvement in decisions about the services that they receive,from the type of food they eat to the education opportunities on offer,practice still varies across the country. There is a long way to gobefore all secure centres routinely and actively involve young people inshaping services.
There is also a need to increase opportunities for young people incustody to shape policy making. It's vital that the Home Office, DfES,Department of Health and the YJB think more creatively about how toinvolve this group of young people in producing policy and find new waysto engage them in decisions.
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