Legal News

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has announced that from August, those held in Young Offender Institutions (YOI) will face strict bedtimes.

The UK has five YOIs and the new policy means that young offenders aged between 15 and 17 will have a strict bedtime curfew of 10.30pm, in a move to give teenagers in YOIs “more structure”.

Mr Grayling said that it was “crucial that young people – most of whom have had chaotic and troubled lives – finally get the discipline so badly needed to help turn their lives around”.

The government is currently reforming YOIs in England – there will be more emphasis on education and training for young offenders, who will have to spend twice as much time in education while serving their sentences.

Currently young offenders spend 12 hours a week in education and this will double to 24 hours. In 2017, a new college for young offenders will also open in Leicestershire, BBC News reports.

The introduction of formal bedtimes in YOIs is part of the reforms being introduced for young offenders.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said the move will also prevent young adults in YOIs from “staying up all night watching television”.

Mr Grayling added:

"In some prisons, young people are allowed to go to bed when they please. I don't think that is right.

“Stopping this inconsistency and introducing a strict lights-out policy is all part of our approach to addressing youth offending. Those who fail to comply will face tough sanctions."

Mr Grayling said that those who do not comply with the bedtime rules would face losing privileges, such as access to television.

Critics of the policy have said that the government should be concentrating on “more important things”.

Director of the Prison Reform Trust, Juliet Lyon, said that the policy could make issues such as physical restraint worse, with the prison system already suffering from overcrowding, budget cuts and "dangerously low” staffing levels.

“As most parents of teenagers know, commonsense discussion, constructive activity, setting reasonable boundaries and encouraging personal responsibility all work better than new ‘hard and fast’ rules backed by petty restrictions and harsh punishments,” Ms Lyons said.

The US National Sleep Foundation says that regular sleep for teenagers is important for brain development – and can help balance moods and improve the ability to study.

The foundation also says that those who are sleep deprived have a higher risk for accidents, injury and illness.

The average teenager needs around 9.5 hours of sleep every night to help maintain healthy development – hormones which control sleep also have an influence on appetite, weight, mood and general health and wellbeing and those who are regularly sleep deprived or who work shifts have been found to have a higher incidence of certain diseases, including some cancers.

Duncan Lewis Crime Lawyers

Duncan Lewis crime lawyers can advise on prisoners’ rights and access to services in prison, including healthcare and mental health services.

Duncan Lewis crime lawyers regularly visit police stations, prisons and Young Offender Institutions to advise on prisoners’ rights – and also advise on appealing convictions, sentencing appeals, Parole Board applications and personal injury claims against the Prison Service for injuries received in prison as a result of negligence.

For expert advice on your rights in prison, contact Duncan Lewis crime lawyers on 020 7923 4020.