Legal News

A new report by the Howard League for Penal Reform has said that youngsters who spend time in juvenile prisons may become sex offenders as adults as a result.

A commission into sex in prison found that spending time in prisons in childhood made it difficult for youngsters to “develop a healthy sexual identity”, after being exposed to high levels of violence, dealing with force used by prison guards – and time spent “locked up”.

The fourth report into sex in prisons by the Howard League for Penal Reform also criticised plans for Europe’s largest juvenile prison, adding that single sex prisons also damage the chances of a young offender forming a healthy relationship in adulthood. The authors of the report write:

“The commission heard that boys learnt to keep their sexual behaviour secret in prison.

“Punishment for normal sexual behaviours could evoke feelings of guilt or shame for boys in prison and could increase the risk of sexual offending.

“Incarcerating children at this formative time is counterproductive – and may be compounding problematic behaviour and increasing their risk of sexual offending.”

US data on juvenile prisons suggest that boys in institutions where there are more than 100 inmates feel most vulnerable – prison inspectors in the UK have found that one-third of young adult males in young offender institutions (YOIs) feel unsafe at some point. In the UK, YOIs house an average of 130 inmates.

Around one-fifth of boys questioned by prison inspectors say they have been bullied or victimised in YOIs – and many feel they have to join a gang and engage in gang behaviour in juvenile prisons to protect themselves.

Prison inspectors found that, at London’s Feltham YOI, an average of two fights or physical assaults take place every day.

The authors of the report say there has been insufficient research into how a term in a youth prison might increase the chances of a young offender committing sexual offences later in life.

However, the authors refer to a 1995 report on reconviction rates involving young offenders in Northern Ireland. The report suggests that youngsters who spend a period in a secure institution are more likely to be convicted of violent crimes and sexual offences when they reach adulthood than young offenders held in open prisons.

In England and Wales, a total of 1,055 youngsters are in custody – on average 95% are young males aged 16-17. The authors recommend small units with well-trained staff are the best environments for youngsters in custody.

The UK government is planning to build a 320-bed “secure college” next to HMP Glen Parva in Leicestershire, which will accommodate both boys and girls aged 12-17.

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