AYJ Comment: latest inspection reports on HMYOI Parc and Feltham
The latest inspection reports from HM Inspectorate of Prisons reveal a stark and unacceptable contrast in the experiences of children held in custody. They show, once again, that the youth custody system is inconsistent, unsafe, and structurally incapable of guaranteeing children’s rights.
The inspection of HMYOI Parc highlights some positive developments that demonstrate what safer practice can look like when staffing is stable and relationships are prioritised. Inspectors found:
More consistent and respectful relationships between staff and children.
Better daily routines, with more predictable time out of cell.
Improved access to education and purposeful activity compared with other YOIs.
A calmer overall environment, with staff more able to de escalate incidents.
However, inspectors also identified significant ongoing concerns, including high levels of violence, frequent use of force, education that—while improved—remains inconsistent and too often disrupted, children spending long periods in their cells on some days, and weaknesses in safeguarding oversight.
The inspection of HMYOI Feltham continues to present a profoundly worrying picture. Inspectors reported:
Children spending long periods locked in their cells, sometimes for most of the day.
Chronic staffing shortages, leaving units closed and activities cancelled.
Education repeatedly disrupted or unavailable, denying children their legal entitlement.
High levels of violence and use of force, creating an unsafe environment.
Weak resettlement planning, with children released without the support they need.
These conditions are not compatible with children’s rights, wellbeing or development. They reinforce AYJ’s long standing concern that YOIs cannot provide safety, care or rehabilitation, no matter how many improvement plans are written.
Taken together, the Parc and Feltham reports continue to demonstrate that youth custody cannot guarantee children’s safety. Large custodial institutions expose children to unacceptable and avoidable harm.
The forthcoming Youth Custody Transformation Plan promised in the Youth Justice White Paper must set out a clear programme to close YOIs and ensure that where there is no alternative to custody children are held in small, therapeutic, child centred settings such as Secure Children’s Homes. This long term commitment must sit alongside short and medium term actions to improve conditions and reduce harm until the transition can take place.
Jess Mullen, CEO, Alliance for Youth Justice said:
“Once again, these inspection reports underline that youth custody cannot keep children safe.
“While Parc shows that stability and strong relationships can reduce harm, serious issues like violence, use of force and safeguarding failures remain. Feltham continues to expose children to conditions that fall far short of their rights and basic welfare.
“Large custodial institutions are not appropriate for children, and they never will be. The Youth Custody Transformation Plan must set out a decisive programme and timeline for the closure of YOIs and the last remaining Secure Training Centre, alongside urgent action, now, to reduce harm for the children currently in custody.”