We need an urgent action plan to keep children safe in custody

When a child or young person is placed behind bars then the state has an absolute duty to ensure they are safe and cared for. The law is very clear that their welfare remains paramount and their rights are not to be curtailed. The punishment is the removal of their liberty. Nothing more.

It is truly alarming then that the Chief Inspector of Prisons has concluded in his annual report that the situation in youth jails in England and Wales is so dangerous that a tragedy is "inevitable". He says he was so concerned that back in February he felt he had to personally inform  ministers.
 
It is such a damning indictment of the current system that it must not be ignored by the government. The response, from the Ministry of Justice, however, is far from reassuring. A spokesperson said that the new Youth Custody Service would address the matter, reforming the youth custody estate and increasing staff numbers. Surely the government can do better than this.
 
At the very least an urgent action plan is needed so that every child is kept safe in the immediate short term. At the same time plans need to be quickly implemented, including a detailed timetable put in place, to abolish young offender institutions and secure training centres as set out in the recent Taylor Review of the youth justice system that was commissioned by Michael Gove when he was Secretary of State for Justice. And ministers should be at the despatch box in parliament to make an immediate statement setting out their plans before parliament rises for summer recess.
 
The fact that youth prisons have become so unsafe is largely Whitehall's doing. Funding cuts have led to fewer staff and a system that, overall,  is woefully resourced to deal with a group of children and young people who are very vulnerable with complex needs.
 
Levels of self-harm and violence have been on the rise for the past three years. All the warning signs have been there. It appears they have been ignored.
 
One can't help thinking that because these children and young people are locked away, out of sight, they are also out of mind. It should, of course,  be the other way around. Because they are behind bars, and because they are in the care of the state, they should be front of mind every minute of the day for the ministers who are ultimately responsible for them. If they were the Chief Inspector of Prisons would have been telling a very different story when he published his annual report this week.

Enver Solomon is director of external affairs at NCB