The number of children in custody in England and Wales is expected to double by 2024, according to a report by Whitehall’s Public Expenditure Monitoring Authority, which also emphasizes that black and minority ethnic children are increasingly represented in the juvenile justice system. justice.
The report of the National Audit Office (NSC) states that in 2021 more than half (53%) of children in custody are from minority ethnic groups, compared to less than a third (32%) 10 years earlier, while the share of black children has increased from 18% to 29% over the same period.
The report says that after a long decline, the number of children in custody is expected to rise rapidly as a result of increased police recruitment, action to address Covid’s backlog in court and tougher post-police sentences, crime , a bill to reform sentences and courts.
According to the NAO, the average number of children detained decreased by 73% in the decade to 2021, reflecting a decline in the number of juvenile delinquency. However, recent estimates suggest that the number of children aged 15-17 in Young Offender Institutions (YOI) will double from 343 in 2021 to 700 in just four years, raising concerns about the system’s capacity.
Almost three-quarters of all detained children are held in YOI, while those considered too vulnerable are housed in safe learning centers (STCs) or safe children’s homes. Inspectors expressed continued concern about the well-being, safety and performance of children in the three STCs in England, and the closure led to the relocation of children to less appropriate types of youth care.
The government has promised to provide two new safe schools to try to improve the chances of children in custody, but the NAO said the opening of the first has been delayed by about three years, while spending has risen from £ 4.9 million to £ 36. , 5 million, after significant design revisions after due diligence.
“Due to wider financial constraints, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service has not started work on the second sheltered school,” the report said.
Lady Meg Hillier, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said it was a crisis in the making. “Years of mismanagement and poor performance mean that the youth justice system risks ruining many of the children in custody.
“Persistent concerns about STCs have not been taken into account and their closure has now led to the sending of vulnerable children to other facilities that are less suitable for their complex needs.
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She added: “The number of detained children is expected to double by 2024, but new facilities are slowing down and existing ones do not meet standards. Without proper support, the chances of these children turning their lives around are terribly small. ”
Andrew Nielson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Criminal Reform, said: “When a child is in trouble, we must do everything we can to protect him and direct him away from crime. That is why it is so worrying that after a decade in which the number of children detained has been reduced by 80%, recent political decisions risk putting more boys and girls in our failed criminal justice system.
He said growing racial differences in juvenile justice are of growing concern to the Howard League. “Ministers need to think seriously about how the government will turn this unacceptable state of affairs.”
A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: “We are committed to ensuring public safety and the best possible outcome for every child we care for. Our new secure school will put education, healthcare and rehabilitation at the heart of our efforts to reduce crime and maintain public safety. “
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