AYJ Submission: Future prison population and estate capacity inquiry
The AYJ has submitted evidence to the Justice Select Committee’s inquiry into the Future prison population and estate capacity, in order to draw the Committee’s attention to how the Ministry of Justice's current strategy for managing the adult prison population is impacting children and young people in the children’s secure estate.
The response sets out key data on the number of children and young people held in the children’s secure estate, including young adults aged 18 and over. It highlights concerns and calls for action the AYJ rasied with youth justice minister Damian Hinds in an open letter in July 2023, in response to the appalling treatment of children and young people in custody. It states it is not acceptable that failures in adult justice policy have been offloaded to create undue stress on the children’s system.