A blog by Stephanie Roberts-Bibby, Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Board (YJB).
Too many children in custody are spending long periods in their rooms, missing education, and experiencing unsafe environments where violence and poor behaviour management remain common.
Yet again, the Children in Custody 2024-25 report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons paints a stark picture of life for children in secure settings which I have serious concerns about.
As the strategic leaders in youth justice, at the YJB we believe the most effective way to respond is to start with prevention. Prevention should always be the starting point. If we are serious about reducing offending, protecting the public, and creating safer communities, then more effort and resource must be directed across government departments and local partners to steer children away from offending at the earliest possible opportunity.
Read the Children in Custody 2024-25 report
Prevention first
The evidence is clear: the earlier we intervene, the greater the chance children have to live constructive lives, free from the justice system. The Child First decision-making framework is designed to guide professionals in every sector - policing, education, social care, and justice - to make choices that reduce unnecessary criminalisation.
To support the wider system with designing services that steer children away from criminality and custody, we have shared the Child First Self-Assessment Toolkit which we commissioned last year. This gives practical guidance for embedding the principles of the evidence base, referred to in the sector as child first, across the system. By strengthening prevention and diversion, agencies can meet children's needs early, reduce vulnerabilities, and stop problems escalating into offending.
Review the Child First Toolkit
Tackling over-representation
Even with prevention as our focus, we must recognise that children from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds, those with experience of care, and who have special educational needs and speech, language and communication difficulties are disproportionately represented in custody. This is unacceptable and requires urgent attention.
For children leaving care, the predictors of custody - poverty, trauma, exclusion from school, and lack of consistent support - are prominent. This is why better coordination between education, health, social care and justice is vital, so that care-experienced children are not left to fall through the gaps.
And despite steps being taken to improve the overrepresentation of Black boys in the justice system, adultification exists and is a systemic failure. Adultification sees Black children wrongly perceived as older and more culpable, and therefore not afforded the considerations that white children in the justice system receive. To challenge this, we have shared a podcast that I took part in with Jahnine Davis, an expert in adultification and National Kinship Care Advisor. We have also shared an animation and encouraged our colleagues in policing and courts to use this as a training and induction resource for professionals to help reduce unfair decisions and prevent unnecessary entry into custody.
Reducing unnecessary remand
The report shows that nearly 40% of children in custody are on remand, and the majority of these children do not go on to receive a custodial sentence. This means many are unnecessarily exposed to custodial environments, often alongside children convicted of the most serious crimes.
We are working to expand community alternatives. The London Accommodation Pathfinder, now in its second year, is providing rich learning on what a therapeutic model in a community setting can look like. By offering supported accommodation with wraparound services, it is showing how courts can keep children safely in their communities and, crucially, how to reduce the over-representation of Black and Mixed ethnicity boys in custody.
Creating safe and supportive environments
Where custody is used, children must be cared for in safe and supportive environments. Relying on punitive responses only perpetuates harm. Instead, we are promoting approaches based on positive reinforcement, trauma-informed care, and restorative practice. These help children manage their emotions, repair relationships, and develop resilience.
This requires a specialised workforce - staff trained to work with children in ways that model pro-social behaviour, reduce conflict, and prioritise dignity and wellbeing.
Education as a foundation for hope
Education is one of the strongest protective factors against offending. Yet too many children in custody report limited or disrupted access to learning. For children with additional needs - including neurodivergence and communication difficulties - these barriers are even greater.
We want every child in custody to access high-quality education that builds skills, aspirations, and hope for the future. Resettlement planning must ensure that children return to their communities with clear routes into education, training, or employment, as well as stable accommodation.
A call for change
The Children in Custody 2024-25 report confirms that our secure estate is not fit for purpose. If custody is necessary, it should be delivered in small, care-focused environments that mirror family homes, keep children close to their support networks, and help them to develop positive identities.
But our greatest responsibility lies in prevention. By keeping prevention as the starting point, addressing disproportionality, reducing unnecessary remand, and embedding the evidence base across all sectors, we can reduce the number of children in custody, create safer communities, and ensure fewer victims.
The YJB stands ready to work with partners in education, social care, policing, health, and justice to make this vision a reality.
