September 27, 2005: Campaign to End Children Dying in Custody

A national campaign to end the deaths of children in penal custody has been launched by the Howard League for Penal Reform. It also aims to end the unnecessary use of penal custody for children.

The number of children in custody has risen from 3,130 in October 2004 to 3,423 in September 2005. A total of 29 children have died since 1990 - an average of two every year. 27 of the children took their own lives, one was the victim of homicide and one boy died whilst being restrained by staff. 27 of the children died in prisons while 2 died in privately run jails for children, secure training centres. A  study has suggested that children in prison are 18 times more likely to commit suicide than their counterparts in the community.

A national petition will be presented to Downing Street in February 2006 when a month of remembrance will be held. The Howard League points out that:

•  The majority of children are detained in prisons with 2,933 in Prison Service custody, 245 in local authority secure children’s homes, and 245 held in secure training centres.
• The number of children remanded into Prison Service custody has increased by 26%, from 403 in October 2004 to 507.
• The number of girls in penal custody has increased by 35% from 198 in October 2004 to 267 in September 2005. The number of girls held in prisons has increased by 31% from 85 to 111.
• The number of boys held in prisons has increased from 2,589 to 2,822 in a year.

Two boys have died in prisons this year: a 16 year old hanged himself in Lancaster Farms prison and a 17 year was found in his cell in Hindley prison with a ligature round his neck . This boy was known to be at risk of suicide yet had not been designated as vulnerable.

Howard League director Frances Crook commented:

 “It is so sad that we launch this campaign in the week when yet another child takes his own life in a prison. We want no more families to mourn their lost children, no more staff to cut down a child’s body from the prison bars, no more excuses.”

In addition to the campaign events, the independent Carlile Inquiry is due to be published in November. The Howard League for Penal Reform asked Lord Carlile of Berriew QC to “investigate the use of physical restraint, solitary confinement and forcible strip searching of children in prisons, secure training centres and local authority secure children’s homes and to make recommendations.”