Youth justice – Government action

UK Government actions:

• In July 2022, the Cabinet Office published its Annual Report on Major Projects 2021/22. It assigned the UK Government’s youth justice reform programme Amber status, meaning that successful delivery of the project is ‘feasible’ though ‘significant issues already exist’.
• In April 2022, the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 received Royal Assent. The Act affects a number of aspects of criminal law relating to children, including sentencing, remand, criminal records and secure schools.
• In April 2022, the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 received Royal Assent. It contains provisions that make it possible for children to plead guilty to offences online or in writing, without a court appearance, and for decisions to be made in the absence of the child defendant.
• In March 2022, the UK Government published Inclusive Britain, its response to the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities. The report includes a commitment to tackle ethnic disparity in the criminalisation of young people.
• In January 2021, the UK Government made children exempt from new regulations that extend the time a person can be held in custody before a crown court trial.
• In November 2020, in response to a Supreme Court ruling, the UK Government introduced pieces of legislation to reform the criminal records system by changing the rules governing disclosure for sensitive roles. This amendment prevents the requirement for self-disclosure and automatic disclosure of youth cautions, reprimands and warnings.
• In June 2020, the UK Government partially or fully accepted many recommendations from an independent review of the use of pain-inducing techniques in the youth secure estate, including to amend the training programme for managing restraint to remove pain-inducing techniques.
• In April 2020, the UK Government introduced legislation to allow certain offenders, including children, to be released temporarily from prison in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
• In February 2020, the UK Government published an update on its progress in tackling racial disparities in the criminal justice system, including the implementation of the recommendations of an independent review of race in the criminal justice system. This provided an update on a range of issues, including youth justice.
• In February 2020, the UK Government announced that Feltham Young Offender Institution would receive tailored support through the Prison Performance Support Programme that would deliver additional staff, enhanced standards training and tougher security measures. In July 2019, the UK Government imposed a temporary stop on new prisoners being detained in Feltham following a rapid deterioration in conditions. This suspension was lifted in October 2019.
• In October 2019, the UK Government published its Youth Custody Service Safeguarding Review, which made a series of recommendations for improving the system, such as developing needs-led, child-focused safeguarding frameworks.
• In 2017, the UK Government created the Youth Custody Service, which is responsible for running the youth secure estate for children and young people aged between 10 and 17 years in England and Wales. In 2019 a series of related reforms was announced, including rolling out custody support plans to provide each young person with a dedicated officer to monitor their progress.