Our quarterly Members’ Meeting featured a panel on the harms posed to children by stop and search, with an emphasis on strip searching. Panellists were Yolanda Lear, Project Officer at Hackney Account; Dr Ian Joseph, Research Associate at the Open University; and Chris Bath, Chief Executive at the National Appropriate Adult Network.

AYJ comment on HM Inspectorate of Prisons progress report on HMYOI Wetherby and the Keppel unit. The report has highlighted a lack of improvement and continued uncertainty about Keppel’s role

AYJ has responded to the Children’s Rights Alliance for England’s (CRAE) call for evidence on the UK’s adherence to its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

The AYJ has responded to the Children’s Rights Alliance for England’s (CRAE) call for written evidence to inform the Civil Society Alternative Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child 2022.

Comment from AYJ Interim Chief Executive Saqib Deshmukh following the publication of HMIP’s thematic review of outcomes for girls in custody.

Saqib Deshmukh, our Interim CEO, shares his thoughts on the AYJ’s present progress and future plans.

The AYJ hosted a meeting between the Ministry of Justice and AYJ members and the Young Advocates, to help the Ministry of Justice advise Ministers about the recommendations in the Independent Care Review.

Find out what we’ve been up to in the month of July!

The AYJ has signed a joint letter calling on Greater Manchester Police, Manchester City Council, and the Independent Advisory Group to retract a discriminatory letter sent to a number of individuals, including children, banning them from entry to the Caribbean Carnival of Manchester due to perceived ‘gang’ affiliations.

This briefing presents the significant challenges for the children’s secure estate that lie ahead in the wake of the pandemic. It examines existing failures pre-pandemic, the significant risk of harm to children in custody as a result of experiences during the pandemic, failures in strategy for the children’s secure estate, and the government projection that the number of children in custody will steeply rise in coming years.

Today, AYJ publishes the third of three policy briefings for our ‘Impact of COVID-19 on Youth Justice’ research project, examining the significant challenges for the children’s secure estate that lie ahead in the wake of the pandemic.

Jennifer Downie and Ben Twomey of NYAS discuss the impact of COVID-19 on children in secure children’s homes, increased strains on welfare placements, and the future of secure care post-pandemic.

Dr Anne-Marie Day, Lecturer in Criminology at Keele University, discusses the right for children to be treated as children in custody and calls for a higher standard of care for these children, most of whom go into the harmful and abusive custody environment when they are at crisis point.

Dr Laura Janes, Youth Justice lawyer and campaigner, discusses the isolation, mental health challenges and loss of essential life experiences and education endured by children in the secure estate during COVID-19.

Alongside Agenda, the AYJ has concluded the ‘Young Women’s Justice Project’ with a parliamentary event to explore the policy implications of the project’s findings.

In continuation with our research project, conducted collaboratively with the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies at MMU and funded by UK Research and Innovation, we hosted a parliamentary event exploring how to ensure that the criminalisation of children is a last resort post-pandemic.

“I have long been drawn to a career in which I can amplify the voices of those who often go unheard, and facilitate their empowerment as real changemakers in confronting injustice.”

Find out what we've been up to in the month of May!

The AYJ is delighted to announce the appointment of Saqib Deshmukh, who will join us as our Interim CEO from July 2022 for 12-months.

Comment from AYJ Chief Executive Pippa Goodfellow following HMI Prisons latest inspection report examining children’s experiences in Werrington Young Offender Institution (YOI).