Youth Jails: "The use of force is a last resort"

A new programme to reduce the use of force in child prisons was launched by a Government agency today.

The Youth Justice Board (YJB) has unveiled a new code setting out when physical restraint can be used in young offenders' institutions, secure training centres and local authority secure children's homes. It said that force should not be used as a punishment for "merely to secure compliance with staff instructions", and it also maintains that physical restraint must only be used as a "last resort".

In a new development, institutions will be required to immediately call a doctor to examine a child if there is evidence of injury or if a child requests it after being restrained.

YJB chairman, Professor Rod Morgan, agreed that this proposal could have a significant cost implication.

The code says; "Methods of restrictive physical intervention that cause deliberate pain must only be used in exceptional circumstances." Staff should try to ensure that colleagues are present before using physical force, it added, and medication should not be used as a means of controlling the children.

Staff who use physical restraint must be properly trained, and each institution should have a range of rewards and sanctions, a complaints' procedure and ensure that each child knows what is acceptable and what is not acceptable behaviour.

The YJBs Jon Fayle believes the code will reduce the use of force. "We think if we do all these things the number of occasions where it will be necessary to physically restrain a child should be greatly diminished."

Professor Morgan agrees that physical restraining of young people is not the way forward. "We need to scale down the use of physical restraint," and added the use of force should not be used "merely to secure compliance with staff instructions", although the code would not prevent control techniques being used against a child who was putting himself or others at risk.

Currently there are 2,800 children and young people held in custody in England and Wales, including 200 girls.

Keith Hall
7 February 2006

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