September 8, 2004: Lord Carlile  heads inquiry into children in custody

The Howard League for Penal Reform announced yesterday that Lord Carlile of Berriew QC will lead an independent inquiry into the use of strip-searching, physical restraint and segregation for children in penal custody. The inquiry��s terms of reference are:

"To investigate the use of physical restraint, solitary confinement and forcible strip searching of children in prisons, secure training centres and local authority secure children’s homes and to make recommendations."

The inquiry will build on Howard League research which indicates that physical restraint in the commercially managed secure training centres has been used on no less than 11,593 occasions despite the fact that they only hold 190 children who are predominately aged 14 and 15.

The Howard League is also concerned at the high level of self-injury by juveniles in prison service establishments, particularly when children are held in virtual solitary confinement as a punishment. There were 117 incidents of attempted suicide or self-injury recorded involving juveniles in segregation in prisons in 2003. In April 2004, 15 year old Gareth Myatt died in Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre whilst being restrained by three staff.

The inquiry will investigate the routine practice of stripping children on reception to prison.

According to Lord Carlile:

 “My inquiry will consider the various ways that children are treated in penal custody that in any other circumstance would trigger a child protection investigation and could even result in criminal charges. We recognise that many of the children held in custody exhibit challenging behaviour and have complex health and social needs, but we are concerned about the forcible stripping of young people, long periods of isolation as punishment and the physical restraint of children.”

The Howard League notes that on 20 August 2004, there were 2,573 boys aged 15 to 18 held in fourteen prison service young offender institutions (YOIs). 18 year olds are sometimes kept in YOIs to finish sentences begun when they were juveniles. 108 girls aged 16 to 18 were held in four prisons. This adds up to a total of 3,135 children in penal custody, a significant increase since 1997 when it stood at 2,590. 12 young people aged 15 to 17 have taken their own lives in prisons since 1997. 1,659 incidents of self-injury or attempted suicide by juveniles in prisons were recorded from 1998 to 2002.