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The Prison Service is one of the major providers of 'secure accommodation' for children and young people.
Context
The Youth Justice Board (YJB) for England and Wales has statutory responsibility for the coordination and purchasing of secure accommodation for children and for setting the standards for these services.
Within the juvenile secure estate there is a discrete Prison Service estate which accommodates juveniles between 15 and 17 and or those sentenced to a detention and training order (DTO). The Prison Service and the YJB have a partnership agreement as well as a service level agreement.
What does it do?
The Prison Service juvenile estate has two primary roles. The first is to carry out the order of the court by keeping the young person in custody.
The second is to help in achieving the principal aim of the youth justice system, which is 'to prevent offending by children and young people' (section 37 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998).
The Prison Service and the YJB have set a number of intended goals for the authorities in the Prison Service's juvenile estate. These are set out in Prison Service Order 4950 and include the following.
- To look after and promote the welfare of every child by applying the principles and standards established by the Children Act 1989 and relevant regulations and guidance; and to ensure that each young person entering into custody is treated in a humane, respectful manner and that they are kept in a safe environment at all times.
- To ensure that people are recruited to work with young people under-18 who have the skills, experience, motivation and competences to do so and that every member of staff receives the appropriate training and support in order that they can work effectively with young people.
- To set up and run the facility so that good behaviour is promoted, recognised and rewarded; and to deal appropriately with unacceptable behaviour effectively, fairly and in accordance with the relevant procedures laid down. In addition to ensure the safety, confidence and welfare of all the young people and staff and to discourage its recurrence.
- The prison will endeavour to improve the physical, mental and social health of each young person in accordance with the general approach of improving the health of those in the prison. Further to this, the prison will also go about helping the juveniles adopt healthy behaviour that will help them when they return to the community. Of course, the prison will try to make sure that there is no deterioration in health during or because of custody.
- To introduce a substance misuse strategy based on the National Specification for Substance Misuse for Juveniles in Custody. Young people will have easy access to the substance misuse services which will be based on the best available evidence from within the prison service and those in the community.
- To involve each young person every day in a variety of activities which match their needs, abilities and potential; and to deliver an education, training and employment programme which provides every young person involved in its activities with an Individual Learning Plan.
- To establish and maintain links with youth offending team () supervising officers, families, and outside agencies to help prevent reoffending.
Prison Service juvenile establishments have a duty to share information, where necessary, with other statutory agencies.
These include but are not limited to: s, local safeguarding children boards or area child protection committees, social services, the police, and other relevant agencies.
This is in order to ensure that the information is shared appropriately with those agencies, in accordance with confidentiality practices. Prison authorities will introduce procedures that staff are aware of and follow, ensuring that relevant information is passed to other agencies where necessary.
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Last updated on 30/04/2009
