'Concerning Levels' of Violence in Local Young Offenders Unit
Violence, victimisation and children being locked in cells for up to 23 hours a day - these are all findings from an inspection of our local young offenders institute.
A report says one in three of the children at HMYOI Wetherby are locked up doing nothing during the day and, since the last inspection a year ago, safety standards have deteriorated.
A third of children said they felt victimised, and incidents of violence have risen. Some staff suffered serious injuries because of 'reckless’ and ‘unpredictable' acts of violence from the offenders.
Inspectors also found some children had to wait up to two weeks to contact their family.
Frances Crook, Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “This is the latest in a long series of reports showing how safety has deteriorated in prisons, but it is particularly concerning that this should be happening in an institution charged with caring for children. “Violence is rising in Wetherby, with attacks on boys and staff becoming more frequent and more severe.
“Why is it that, when it comes to locking up children in prisons, we tolerate the unacceptable? We would never tolerate this treatment for our own children, and yet for some reason we allow for boys in Wetherby to be treated very differently.”
This report was the result of an unannounced inspection. It follows on from an inspection in 2014 where outcomes for young people were found to be reasonably good or better against all four prison tests: safety, respect, purposeful activity and resettlement.
This more recent inspection found the prison going through a period of transition with the reopening of mothballed accommodation, the refurbishment of one wing and the appointment of a new governor.
Nick Hardwick, Chief Inspector of Prisons, said: “Wetherby remained well-led and staff remained calm, measured and resilient. In most respects Wetherby provided the boys it held with positive opportunities to progress.
“However, this report also identified some significant challenges, not least in addressing and reducing the concerning levels of violence. Addressing this should be the priority of the establishment and much of its other work depends on progress in this area.”
Paul Hardman is the Development Director at Foundation, which works with young offenders in Leeds and across the North.
He says all of the problems outlined in the report can have a lasting impact on young offenders and hamper efforts to get them back on track when they leave prison:
“They start to suffer faith in themselves in terms of confidence and the future. We find that a lot with young people – they just don’t have the confidence anymore.
“That’s just a terrible, heart-breaking thing to see. It can then move on into mental health issues and even drug and alcohol issues.”
Inspectors did find the institute to be 'mainly good', with patient and resilient staff and good opportunities for the children to progress.
Michael Spurr, Chief Executive Officer of the National Offender Management Service, said: "As the Inspectorate report makes clear, Wetherby manages a complex and challenging population. Tackling violence and providing a safe environment is the Governor's top priority and we will use the recommendations in the report to support this work."