New report highlights importance of mental health support in youth custody

The Children's Commissioner has published a new report on the emotional wellbeing and mental health of young people in custody. ‘I think I must have been born bad’ illustrates the importance of addressing the mental health and emotional wellbeing of young people who get into trouble with the law. The report is based on a year-long observational study of 19 establishments and services and is accompanied by a film of young people talking about their experiences.

The reprot concludes that there is a lack of consistency and wide variation in the type, level and quality of measures put in place to support the emotional wellbeing and good mental health of children in the youth justice system and specifically, in the children and young people’s secure estate. It report recommends that:

• children should be placed in units of no more than 150 
• staff-child ratios should be small enough to ensure meaningful relationships with key workers 
• all children should have a health screening assessment on entering custody
• re-settlement plans should ensure children are well supported when they leave custody 
• all children’s prisons should be inspected by an inspectorial body with expertise in inspecting closed institutions.