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Young People: Custody

Volume 698: debated on Tuesday 29 January 2008

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many children under 15 were in custody in (a) young offender institutions; (b) secure children's homes; (c) secure training centres; and (d) private prisons on 1 January of each year between 2000 and 2008; and [HL1475]

How many young people aged 15 to 18 were in custody in (a) young offender institutions; (b) secure children's homes; (c) secure training centres; and (d) private prisons on 1 January of each year between 2000 and 2008. [HL1476]

The secure estate for children and young people holds children and young people up to and including the age of 17, as well as a small number of young people who reach 18 in the course of their sentences.

The table below, which contains information provided by the Youth Justice Board, shows the number of children aged under 13 and young people aged 15-17 held in young offender institutions (YOIs), secure training centres (STCs) and secure children's homes (SCHs) on 1 January in each year from 2001 onwards. The number of 18 year-olds held in juvenile young offender institutions is shown separately. There were no 18 year-olds in secure training centres or secure children's homes. Numbers in custody on 1 January 2000 are not available.

Number of children under 15 in custody

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

YOI

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

SCH

127

134

151

123

109

114

123

115

STC

81

65

75

64

71

60

50

62

Private YOI

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Number of young people in the secure estate for children and young people

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

YOI1

1,912

2,055

2,278

1,969

1,922

1,880

2,013

1,899

SCH

130

149

158

161

111

105

102

104

STC

32

37

71

108

136

155

206

186

Private YOI

211

236

201

178

269

302

300

376

18 year olds

307

303

357

370

348

362

298

252

1 15-17 year olds

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proportion of young people under the age of 18 who are in custody receive individual therapy, counselling or support for drugs-related problems. [HL1479]

The Youth Justice Board (YJB) funds a substance misuse service across the secure estate for children and young people. Those young people who have misused substances (about 7 per cent of those in custody) receive targeted support based on their level of need and the substances they have misused. Those young people (about 5 per cent) who require specialist treatment, such as those needing detoxification, receive individual specialist support from a range of providers, including healthcare.