Prisons fail young people serving long sentences
Alison Bennett
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
There is no effective strategy for dealing with children serving long sentences, the chief inspector of prisons has found.
In her annual report Anne Owers' said that the number of young people serving lengthy sentences had doubled at one establishment and that there were insufficient spaces to move young people serving indeterminate sentences to first-stage "lifer" centres.
She also attacked the "significant shortfall" in accredited offending behaviour programmes for under-18s, particularly young sex offenders, and said it can significantly delay their eligibility for parole.
Owers praised the introduction of social workers to young offender institutions, but said it was "unacceptable" that there continues to be a wrangle over who should pay for them.
"This does not suggest a clear commitment to the critical importance of this role, both in supporting children in prison and in making links with services outside on release," she said.
She also attacked the "significant shortfall" in accredited offending behaviour programmes for under-18s, particularly young sex offenders, and said it can significantly delay their eligibility for parole.
Owers praised the introduction of social workers to young offender institutions, but said it was "unacceptable" that there continues to be a wrangle over who should pay for them.
"This does not suggest a clear commitment to the critical importance of this role, both in supporting children in prison and in making links with services outside on release," she said.