Government misses chance to protect children who are locked up

The Government has today ignored its human rights obligations to children in secure training centres (private child prisons for 12 to 17 year olds) by allowing staff to use deliberately painful restraint techniques on children as young as 12.

The recent independent review of restraint in child prisons reports the shocking accounts the chairs of the review heard from children about their treatment by prison staff. Yet the Government’s response doesn’t mention these accounts and does not say how people will be held to account for unlawfully using force against children.

One child said:

‘I’ve had staff here lift me off my feet by my head. You fear for your life here, I’m scared they’re gonna hurt me.’

Carolyne Willow, CRAE’s national co-ordinator, says:

‘Ministers would have us believe that children in custody are bit and strong and out of control. The harrowing testimonies of children interviewed in private as part of this review show that children are scared, overpowered and hurt during restraint. Some even think they are going to die.

‘This was an opportunity for Ministers to withdraw all forms of restraint which deliberately aim to cause pain, in line with international human rights law and recent UN and Council of Europe recommendations.

‘After all this waiting, what do we get? Staff in young offender institutions, where more than 8 out of 10 children are held, can continue to swipe children across the nose during restraint and staff in secure training centres can still bend back children’s thumbs and dig under their ribs.’

Read CRAE’s full press release

What is restraint?
Restraint is when a child is physically held down to stop them doing something or to stop them hitting someone or hurting themselves.

Posted on Monday, December 15, 2008