What's happened
UK authorities are considering reforms to reduce the use of detention for children and vulnerable adults. Experts highlight that remanding children and those in mental health crises into custody often worsens their vulnerabilities. Calls for closing all young offender institutions and shifting to community-based care are gaining momentum, amid concerns over systemic failures and overrepresentation of minorities.
What's behind the headline?
The push to abolish all young offender institutions (YOIs) reflects a recognition that detention often harms children more than it helps. The government’s current approach treats custody as a default response, despite evidence that many children are remanded unnecessarily, with over 60% not receiving custodial sentences. The overrepresentation of minority children in remand highlights systemic inequalities. Transitioning to community-based placements and fostering a rehabilitative model could significantly reduce harm, but political and institutional resistance may slow reforms. The focus on mental health and welfare remand powers underscores a shift towards prioritising care over punishment, which should lead to more humane and effective justice outcomes.
What the papers say
The Independent reports that over 60% of children remanded in custody in 2023-24 did not receive a custodial sentence, with many cases dismissed or acquitted. Dame Rachel de Souza criticizes the current system, calling for the closure of all young offender institutions and advocating for a rehabilitative approach. The Guardian highlights systemic failures, including violence and safeguarding concerns at facilities like Oakhill and Feltham, and notes the overrepresentation of minority children in remand. Both sources emphasize that remanding children often causes lasting damage and that systemic reform is urgently needed to protect vulnerable youth and reduce reliance on detention.
How we got here
Recent reports reveal that the UK’s youth justice system relies heavily on detention, often unnecessarily. Despite a slight decrease in the number of children in custody, concerns persist about the length of remand periods and the systemic failure to support vulnerable children outside detention. Calls for reform have intensified following inspections highlighting violence and safeguarding issues in youth detention facilities, and data showing many children are remanded without receiving custodial sentences.
Go deeper
Common question
-
What Are the Proposed Reforms to UK Child Custody Laws?
The UK is considering significant reforms to its child custody and youth justice systems. These changes aim to reduce the use of detention for children and vulnerable adults, focusing instead on community-based care and rehabilitation. Many experts and advocates argue that current practices often harm the very individuals they aim to help, especially minority children. If you're wondering how these reforms could impact families, justice, and mental health services, read on to find out more about what's changing and why.
More on these topics
-
Dame Rachel Mary de Souza DBE is a British educationalist, and former head teacher. She was the founding chief executive of the Inspiration Trust and served in that role until March 2021, when she took up the post of Children's Commissioner for England.