Today (04.03.25) the Government announced that they will no longer place girls in Young Offenders’ Institutions. This measure has been implemented immediately following recommendations from Susannah Hancock’s independent review, ‘Delivering the best for girls in custody’. This review sets out several recommendations for further steps the Government can take to ensure the specific needs of girls in contact with the criminal justice system are being effectively met.
Responding to the MoJ announcement, Helen Berresford, Director of External Engagement said:
“We welcome the Government’s announcement to ensure girls will no longer be held in Young Offenders’ Institutions (YOIs).
This decision signifies a long overdue acknowledgement of the gendered impact of imprisonment on girls. Recent figures reveal that whilst girls account for less than two percent of children in custody, they account for more than half of the self-harm incidents across the youth estate in England and Wales.
Whilst this is an important first step, we also support the review’s recommendation to end the use of secure training centres for girls by 2029. It is imperative that the Government ensures that a national trauma-informed and gender-responsive approach is embedded into any framework for girls in contact with the criminal justice system (CJS). To ensure the gender-specific needs of these girls are effectively met will require an aligned approach across different agencies including the Youth Custody Service, Department for Education and National Health Service to work in effective partnership together.
Prison should be an absolute last resort for all children. Today’s announcement is a welcome step in the right direction.”
MOJ Press Release: Government no longer places girls in Young Offenders’ Institutions
Susannah Hancock’s Review: ‘Delivering The Best for Girls in Custody’
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We operate in more than 40 prisons and provide services across England and Wales. We help 28,000 people across our services each year and run the CAS-2 service for the Government housing people coming out of prison on bail or licence. We work with people at every stage of the criminal justice system, from liaison and diversion services in police custody and courts, to resettlement into the community after prison. We use the insights from our services and the experiences of the people we support to campaign together for a criminal justice system which better serves us all. We’ve been working in this field for more than 50 years.
