AYJ welcomes recommendations for long overdue reforms to girls in custody
Today [4th March, 2025] the AYJ has published a response to Delivering the best for girls in custody, an independent review into the placements and care for girls in the Children and Young People Secure Estate.
The Alliance for Youth Justice strongly welcomes the recommendations outlined in Susannah Hancock's review of girls in custody.
Our Young Women’s Justice Project, delivered in partnership with the Agenda Alliance, highlighted how girls are currently sidelined in policy and practice and don't receive the gender-responsive care vitally needed. If implemented, the review’s recommendations would mark a long overdue step towards a more humane, safe and supportive approach to meeting the needs of girls.
End of use of YOIs for girls: We applaud the immediate government decision to cease placing girls in Young Offender Institutions (YOIs). This is a crucial first step.
STC phase-out: While the proposed end of the use of Secure Training Centres (STC) by the end of the contract with Oakhill STC in 2029 is positive, we urge government to accelerate this timeline. The proposed Girls Consortia, bringing together a dedicated group of Secure Children’s Homes and the Secure School, who will be supported and resourced to work together in a coordinated way to provide placements for all girls, must be prioritised.
Gender responsive pathway: The recommended development of an evidence-based pathway for girls to define the gender responsive, trauma informed services that girls in secure accommodation need and the commissioning required across departments to meet those needs is essential. This must include specialist and gender-specific voluntary sector organisations – including those delivered “by-and-for” the communities they support – who are often best placed to address the multiple needs of girls and young women.
Strategic oversight: The establishment of a Girls Justice Strategic Board and the appointment of a Ministry of Justice strategic lead are vital for implementation. We will collaborate with the Ministry of Justice to ensure effective engagement across our membership.
Community alternatives: We particularly welcome the review’s long-term vision and recommendations for community-based alternatives to custody, new ‘community secure’ provision, and designation of alternative community provision such as multi-dimensional intensive fostering placements. Development of such alternatives would support custody to only be used as a last resort for girls in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Jess Mullen, Chief Executive officer of the Alliance for Youth Justice stated:
“For too long girls have been an afterthought in the justice system. As a minority, on account of their age and gender, their needs have been overlooked and disregarded. Girls in contact with the justice system are extremely vulnerable, with the latest figures showing that they are involved in more than half of the self-harm incidents across the youth estate. Our research with the Agenda Alliance highlights how girls in the justice system have been failed by multiple public services and trapped in damaging cycles of abuse, inequality and offending.
“While the government's decision to end YOI placements is a significant victory, full implementation of the review's recommendations is essential. Government must develop a comprehensive model for girls in contact with the justice system that addresses girls' specific vulnerabilities and commit to a future where custody is a genuine last resort for all children, including the complete closure of YOIs and STCs.”