London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025

Number of children in custody in England and Wales set to double by 2024

Number of children in custody in England and Wales set to double by 2024

Report also highlights increasing over-representation of black and minority ethnic children in custody
The number of children in custody in England and Wales is expected to double by 2024, according to a report by Whitehall’s public spending watchdog, which also highlights that black and minority ethnic children are increasingly over-represented in the youth justice system.

The National Audit Office (NAO) report said in 2021 more than half (53%) of children in custody were from minority ethnic groups, up from less than a third (32%) 10 years earlier, while the proportion of black children increased from 18% to 29% over the same period.

The report said that after long-term decline, the number of children in custody is expected to rise rapidly as a direct result of increased police recruitment, moves to tackle the court backlog caused by Covid and tougher sentencing after the passing of the police, crime, sentencing and courts reform bill.

According to the NAO, the average number of children in custody fell by 73% in the decade up to 2021, reflecting the decline in the number of youth offences. Latest forecasts, however, indicate the number of children aged 15-17 in young offender institutions (YOIs) will double from 343 in 2021 to 700 just four years later, raising concerns about capacity in the system.

Almost three-quarters of all children in custody are held in a YOI, while those who are deemed too vulnerable are housed in secure training centres (STCs) or secure children’s homes. Inspectors have raised persistent concerns over the welfare, safety and outcomes for children in England’s three STCs, and closures have led to children being moved to less suitable types of youth custody.

The government has promised to deliver two new secure schools to try to improve the life chances of children in custody, but according to the NAO, the opening of the first has been delayed by approximately three years, while costs have gone up from £4.9m to £36.5m, after significant design revisions following due diligence.

“Due to wider financial constraints, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service has not started work on the second secure school,” the report notes.

Dame Meg Hillier, the chair of the public accounts committee, said it was a crisis in the making. “Years of mismanagement and poor performance has meant the youth justice system risks failing many of the children who end up in custody.

“Persistent concerns over the STCs have not been heeded, and now their closures have led to vulnerable children being sent to other facilities which aren’t as suitable for their complex needs.”

She added: “Children in custody are expected to double by 2024, yet new facilities are delayed and existing ones are failing to meet standards. Without proper support, the chances of these children to turn their lives around is distressingly slim.”

Andrew Neilson, the director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “When a child is in trouble, we should do all that we can to keep them safe and guide them away from crime. This is why it is so concerning that, after a decade in which the number of children in custody has been reduced by 80%, recent policy decisions risk sweeping more boys and girls into our failing criminal justice system.”

He said the growing racial disparities in youth justice have been of increasing concern to the Howard League. “Ministers need to get serious on how the government will reverse this unacceptable state of affairs.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “We are committed to ensuring public safety and the best possible outcome for every child in our care. Our new secure school will put education, healthcare and rehabilitation at the heart of our efforts to cut crime and keep the public safe.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
×