Children in prison have been failed by ‘multiple services’ and youth custody worsens their disadvantages, according to a new report from the Children’s Commissioner.
Dame Rachel de Souza’s report reveals children in custody were five times more likely to have an Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan compared to pupils in state-funded education.
It also shows that 77% of children in youth custody were persistently or severely absent in their most recent year at a state-funded school and 40% have a known special educational need.
‘Many of these children faced challenges long before custody – gaps in education, unmet additional needs, behavioural issues, and high levels of school exclusion, often compounded by poverty,’ said Dame de Souza.
‘Too often, they were labeled as “naughty” rather than being given the help they needed.’
The research also reveals regional disparities. Some council areas were more frequently named as the location of children’s last registered education settings before going to prison.
More than one third (36%) were most recently registered at settings in the West Midlands, and 18% had been registered at settings in Birmingham.
The next most common local authorities included Liverpool, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Derby, Sandwell, Coventry and Wolverhampton.
One in five children attended just six educational settings in England.
