Children and young persons in custody 2010-11

Book excerpt: This report looks at how young people aged 15 to 18 describe their own experience of imprisonment in 2010-11. The number of children and young people in custody, held in young offender institutions, continued to fall during 2010-11 from 1,977 to 1,822. As a result, in 2010-11 the children and young people's estate has reduced, with 710 spaces decommissioned and five young offender institutions closed, including a unit for young women. Demographic information indicates a changing profile of the children and young people in custody and reflects the vulnerability of the population. The proportion of black and minority ethnic young men, already over-represented, rose to 39% (from 33% in 2009-10), the number of foreign national young men increased to 6% (from 4% in 2009-10) and the number who identified as Muslim reached 16% (compared with 13% in 2009-10). However, this report found that while conditions for some had improved, for the majority the experience had deteriorated. Compared with 2009/10, young men were less positive about their treatment in reception and the facilities offered on arrival, and fewer said that they felt safe on their first night.