{"id":30368,"date":"2022-04-03T17:27:59","date_gmt":"2022-04-03T17:27:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/?p=30368"},"modified":"2022-04-03T17:27:59","modified_gmt":"2022-04-03T17:27:59","slug":"stopping-the-neglect-of-children-caught-up-in-the-criminal-justice-system-insidetime-insideinformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/2022\/04\/03\/stopping-the-neglect-of-children-caught-up-in-the-criminal-justice-system-insidetime-insideinformation\/","title":{"rendered":"Stopping the neglect of children caught up in the criminal justice system \u2013 insidetime & insideinformation"},"content":{"rendered":"

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PET has responded to the call for evidence from the Commission on Young Lives, highlighting the poor treatment of children in prisons (YOIs) and secure training centres (STCs).<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Every year, hundreds of the most vulnerable children in England are neglected by the education and social services systems. Launched in September 2021, the Commission on Young Lives is a major independent commission to evidence and design a new national system to prevent crisis in vulnerable young people and support them to succeed in life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The school-to-prison pipeline<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

In our evidence submission, we highlighted the \u2018school-to-prison pipeline\u2019 \u2013 the term used to describe the pervasive links between educational exclusion, social exclusion, and criminalisation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many people in prison were labelled \u2018troublemakers\u2019 and \u2018poor learners\u2019 by teachers and subjected to interrupted learning. Almost nine out of ten boys (88%) in custody said that they have been excluded from school, and almost two in five said that they were younger than 14 years-old when last at school.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Crucially, people from minority ethnic backgrounds and those with neurodiverse conditions are overrepresented in both school exclusion figures and the criminal justice system.<\/p>\n

Another emotionally and educationally disruptive experience common amongst children in custody is having been in care. While fewer than 1% of children in England are in care, looked after children make up 61% of girls and 33% of boys in custody.<\/p>\n

An effective alternative to YOIs and STCs<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Further damage is caused to children\u2019s education by the custodial environment \u2013 through use of force, solitary confinement, and \u2018keep aparts\u2019 (when children are assessed as a risk of violence to each other and kept separate for activities).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These practices not only traumatise already vulnerable children, but also prevent them from receiving meaningful and progressive education.<\/p>\n

An effective alternative for children in YOIs and STCs would be secure children\u2019s homes, which usually provide far better outcomes for those in their care.<\/p>\n

Creating a safe and supportive environment for children<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

The pressures facing the adult custodial estate, combined with inadequate resourcing and fragmented planning, is causing the continual neglect of the best interests of many of the most vulnerable children.<\/p>\n

In our evidence submission we call for a national strategy for the children\u2019s custodial estate that facilitates safe and supportive environments. Our recommendations include:<\/p>\n

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  1. Trauma-informed teaching, with more initiatives that involve participation of families.<\/li>\n
  2. Embedded education outside traditional classroom settings as the norm, such as the use of digital technology, sports and the arts as \u2018hooks\u2019 for learning.<\/li>\n
  3. Regular publishing of data relating to educational progression and achievement, and education\/training or employment on release.<\/li>\n
  4. The development of policies by the Ministry of Justice that ensure those recruited are well suited and trained to care for children in custody.<\/li>\n
  5. A curriculum of material that is racially and culturally responsive.<\/li>\n
  6. Opportunities for educational progress that are tailored to each learner, with particular attention to children with longer sentences.<\/li>\n
  7. A child-focused culture in custodial establishments, where young people\u2019s voices are valued.<\/li>\n
  8. Proper planning for release and transfers to the adult estate to ensure the seamless continuation of every child\u2019s learning journey.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

    Start a course\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>with PET\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    Prisoners\u2019 Education Trust funds a wide range of distance-learning courses. To apply, you need to:<\/i><\/p>\n

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    • Be serving your sentence in a prison in England or Wales;<\/i><\/li>\n
    • Have at least six months left to serve;<\/i><\/li>\n
    • Have gained Level 2 Eng<\/i>lish<\/i> (literacy). Some courses<\/i> also require Level 2 Maths (numeracy);<\/i><\/li>\n
    • Be over 18 years old.<\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      If you\u2019d like any advice <\/i>about which course to study <\/i>or how to apply, you can speak to a member of our team for free on <\/i>0800 048 <\/i><\/b>7520<\/i><\/b> on: Tues: 10am-12pm<\/i> & 2pm-4pm. Thurs 10am-12pm & 2pm-6pm<\/i><\/p>\n

      You can also write to us at FREEPOST, Prisoners\u2019 Edu<\/i>cation Trust or speak to your<\/i> prison\u2019s Education Department.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n