AYJ Comment: Ending the cycle of reoffending report is a welcome first step, but meaningful change must follow

The Alliance for Youth Justice welcomes the publication of the Justice Committee's report, Ending the cycle of reoffending - part one: rehabilitation in prisons (14.11.25), following its inquiry into rehabilitation and resettlement, to which we provided both written and oral evidence.

We are pleased that the Committee has drawn upon our testimony, particularly in relation to the vital role the voluntary sector (especially services run by and for organisations) plays in supporting purposeful activity in the youth estate and the role that improved Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) arrangements could play in supporting children’s resettlement and ensuring that custody is for the shortest time possible.

We strongly endorse the Committee's conclusions that the Youth Custody Service and Youth Offender Institutions (YOIs) are fundamentally not working for children, and that the government appears to tolerate children not receiving their statutory minimum education. We further share the Committee's concern regarding the introduction of PAVA spray, which we strongly oppose as a measure entirely unsuitable for child detention settings.

The Committee's recognition of the systemic failings of Young Offender Institutions aligns with the core of our evidence, which stressed that YOIs and the Secure Training Centre are fundamentally inappropriate places for children.

Finally, we welcome the recommendation that HMPPS set a minimum time out of cell in YOIs and that the government produce an action plan for how it plans to manage conditions in custody, and make access to education central, as well as assessing the impact of PAVA spray. Further accountability on these issues is a welcome first step in the short term. Long term, as set out in our evidence, the best way to meet the needs of children and ensure desistance can be supported is to ensure children are never sentenced or remanded to custody unless it is an absolute last resort and for the shortest appropriate period.

Jess Mullen, Chief Executive of the Alliance for Youth Justice, said:

“It is encouraging to see the Committee confront the deep and longstanding problems in youth custody and conclude that the youth custody service, and in particular Young Offender Institutions, is not working for children. These important findings should signal the need for ambitious long term reform and a clear plan to achieve it. If we are serious about helping children move away from offending towards their full potential, we need to prioritise care, education and community-based support, and ensure that no child is placed in custody unless there is absolutely no alternative. The current system cannot deliver what children need, and meaningful change will require the government to move decisively away from settings that are fundamentally unsuitable.”