LONDON, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Children in youth custody in England and Wales continue to face high levels of violence, prolonged confinement in cells and inadequate access to education, according to official findings highlighted by the Youth Justice Board on Friday.
The board was responding to a report released earlier this week by HM Inspectorate of Prisons on the experiences of 12- to 18-year-olds in custody.
The report found that children at most establishments spent too much time locked in their cells, with boys at some sites unlocked for less than four hours a day on average.
Education provision was also inadequate at most establishments. Across the youth estate, 16 percent of children surveyed said they were not taking part in education, work or programs aimed at addressing offending behaviour.
Violence remained a regular feature of daily life, with 39 percent of children saying they had felt unsafe at some point in custody. Only 26 percent said they would report bullying or victimization by other young people.
Steph Roberts-Bibby, chief executive of the Youth Justice Board, said the problems were systemic rather than isolated failures, calling for a shift towards smaller, child-centered facilities with a stable specialist workforce.
The findings have renewed concerns over whether the current system is adequately preparing children for life after custody. The British government has said children entering the justice system often have complex needs and face significant barriers to rehabilitation, and is seeking to strengthen early intervention and ensure custody is used only as a last resort. ■