Record numbers of children in England jailed many miles from their families
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Exclusive: More than one in 10 young people in custody are held at least 75 miles from their homes. Vulnerable children are being jailed many miles from their families at record levels, a Guardian investigation has found, prompting warnings that the government is breaking the law.
The proportion of young people being detained in young offender institutions (YOIs) more than 100 miles from their home has doubled over the last decade to 15% – the highest since its peak at the height of the Covid pandemic. More than one in 10 of the young people in custody in England are being held at least 75 miles from their families, the highest since the Ministry of Justice began publishing the figures in April 2015.
The closure of youth custody centres has resulted in fewer children being held close to their families. Charities and experts say having children in custody close to their families lessens their likelihood of reoffending. Only 17% of the 530 young people in custody in England were remotely close to their homes in October, the lowest number on record. The vast majority – 80% – are held in violent and poorly run YOIs.
The trend has got worse despite years of official warnings about its damaging impact on children from a series of bodies including Ofsted, HM Inspectorate of Prisons and parliament’s spending watchdog. The National Association for Youth Justice (NAYJ) described the figures as “another example of social injustice to the most vulnerable children and families in our country”.
