Let’s not forget the plight of children in custody | Letters

Readers discuss the failings in the UK’s prison and justice system

Your editorial (The problem is caused by drugs and violence inside – and by austerity outside, 21 August) and Polly Toynbee’s opinion column (Prisons are just the start. The justice system is in meltdown, 21 August) throw light on the deep problems facing the criminal justice system, of which prisons are but part. However, in the face of events at HMP Birmingham, it is vital not to ignore the plight of the 883 children incarcerated in the secure estate as of June 2018.

The majority (73%) were held in young offender institutions. The chief inspector of prisons for England and Wales annual report for 2017-18 reported that 43% of the children interviewed had felt unsafe in their current institution and 19% felt unsafe at the time of inspection. Thirty three per cent reported victimisation by other inmates and 27% by staff. All three secure training centres were inspected: the overall effectiveness and safety were inadequate at two and required improvement at the other.

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2PzYio0