Prison visits are a particular problem for these young people. One 17-year-old describes it: "It makes you feel horrid. When I saw my brother we didn't talk. There was too many other people around. I couldn't think of anything to say in case anyone else was listening. It is just too embarrassing."
Long distances may have to be travelled, and young people frequently give up whole weekends, miss out on social events or even exams only to be faced with a prison environment that is not conducive to their needs.
Kelli Brown, policy director of Action for Prisoners' Families (AfPF), explains: "They often feel ashamed to be there, and at high-security prisons they are searched, which is something they dislike. And if the person is less than 17 years old, they have to be accompanied by an adult, so it's not as if they can simply go at whatever time suits them."
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