A report published by the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons has found that short-term custodial remand has a ‘negative impact’ on children and ‘offers little benefit to society.’

The report explained that nearly 100 children are remanded to custody every year only to be released or moved ‘less than two weeks later’. The children are ‘often placed in volatile institutions with little or nothing achieved before they are released back into the community’ as short-term remand offers too little time to provide children with ‘constructive support.’ Furthermore, over half of the children held in custody on remand do not then go on to serve a custodial sentence.

The report sampled 25 children to examine their experiences. 80% of the children sampled were found to have experienced previous trauma, and ‘just over half had been diagnosed with a neurodivergent condition’. In discussing their experiences, many said they were unaware of why they were being held in custody and spoke of witnessing violence, the use of weapons, and other poor behaviour by inmates. The children also predominantly experienced long periods locked behind doors without much to occupy them. It was also found that many did not receive their entitlements such as family phone calls, education, and access to rehabilitation programs that are typically available under Youth Offender Institutions.

Significantly, the report found that in many cases short-term remand could have been avoided if the Youth Justice Services had been better informed, and if community services were better coordinated. Youth Justice System workers were often found to only be informed of a child’s arrest extremely late in the process, which meant they were unable to create a suitable bail package or source appropriate accommodation in a timely manner.

The Howard League of Penal Reform published a response to the report, emphasizing the negative impact of short-term remand on children. The Chief Executive of the Howard League, Andrea Coomber KC stated that, ‘Prison is a toxic place for children’ and said children should not be punished for ‘the mistakes of the services who ought to be helping them’.