The Goddard Inquiry has announced that the sexual abuse of children in custodial institutions, and the sexual abuse of children in residential schools, will form two of its first 12 investigations. The scope of the custodial investigation is summarised as follows: “The Inquiry will investigate the nature and extent of, and institutional responses to, the … Read more
Unless there are changes in law and/or government policy, the Ministry of Justice predicts there will be 700 boys incarcerated in young offender institutions every year between 2016 and 2020. Latest data shows there were 682 boys in young offender institutions in September 2015. The official predictions mean England will continue to be one of … Read more
The latest inspection report on Feltham young offender institution states many boys have less than 30 minutes daily access to fresh air. Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission considered such deprivation to be “seriously detrimental to the health, development and wellbeing of growing boys”. Apparently the prison has now moved to a system of 60 … Read more
A major inquiry conducted by the Office of Children’s Commissioner for England finds that only a tiny minority of children who are sexually abused within the family are helped by professionals. Around 50,000 cases of child sexual abuse were recorded by the police and social workers across the two years to March 2014, though the … Read more
The Commission on Freedom of Information issued a call for evidence on 9 October, with a deadline of midnight tonight. Article 39 has submitted evidence of important information brought into the public domain because of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This includes information: about the restraint techniques authorised for use in secure training centres … Read more