Edmund Clark

Many of the children and young people who are locked up every year should not be there

28% of children in prison have witnessed domestic violence

Almost a quarter of children in prison have learning difficulties

More than one in four children in prison have been in care at some point

A fifth of children in prison don't receive any visits from friends or family

Nearly 7,000 prison sentences were given to children last year

One in 10 children in prison have attempted suicide

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Latest story February 2009

Sally's story

"I'm 15. I was a passenger in a stolen car. I got ISSP (Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme) for 6 months, with the Youth Offending Team. Once you're on an order and you breach, you get put on something higher, so it just keeps going from there. They just keep escalating it. 'Cos I was looking after my niece I breached some of my meetings. I got a four month DTO (Detention and Training Order) but I'll do two months.

Latest evidence October 2009

The changing face of child imprisonment

October 2009

Between 1991 and 2006 the number of children who were sentenced to custody more than tripled. At the same time, the average number of children in prison has also jumped, from 327 in 1991 to 2,600 in 2009, an increase of almost 800%. Children sentenced to prison are also spending longer locked up now than ever before – with the average prison sentence given to children for non-violent offences increasing dramatically. 


Average prison sentence given to children in magistrates’ court 1997-2007

Latest photos January 2010

Young men on ISSP

"The young men featured in these photographs were on an Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP). As part of their bail conditions or their sentence they were required to spend 25 hours under intensive supervision for the first 3 months. The rigorous regime was monitored by a team of dedicated workers offering support through 25 hours of contact time a week, including during evenings and weekends.

Latest news February 2012

Inspectors find high use of force and strip-searching at Ashfield YOI

February 2012

In response to the Chief Inspector’s report on HMYOI Ashfield, the Prison Reform Trust called on the Ministry of Justice to end the routine strip-searching of children in custody. According to government figures, one in four boys in custody has experienced violence at home and one in twenty has been sexually abused.

Latest publication December 2011

Bromley Briefings Prison Factfile December 2011

December 2011

Produced twice-yearly by the Prison Reform Trust using official figures drawn from a wide range of sources, the Factfile is a comprehensive collection of facts and figures giving an up-to-date picture of who is in prison and why.

To read the accompanying press release click here.