The hurt and pain in his mother's voice as she spoke of her loss at a meeting last November was matched only by her anger that her repeated warnings to the authorities of Joseph's vulnerability were not heeded.
Sadly, the harsh reality is that Joseph was just one of 174 children and young people to have taken their own lives in prison since 1990. Annual suicide statistics published by the Howard League for Penal Reform last week showed that while no child had died in prison during 2003, 12 young adult prisoners aged 18 to 21, including five young women, did commit suicide.
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
