A report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons has found that children are subjected to extreme violence, including stabbings, while being held in custody unnecessarily awaiting trial or sentencing in England and Wales.
The watchdog revealed that nearly 100 children each year are remanded to custody only to be bailed or moved within two weeks.
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The findings emerged as the government plans a youth justice overhaul, including a 25% reduction in custodial remand for children by the end of this parliament.
Inspectors tracked 190 children remanded to custody before being bailed between August 1, 2024, and July 31, 2025.
Data shows 91 cases involved custody periods of two weeks or less, and 65 lasted seven days or less, restricting access to education.
More than half of those held for under a week stayed in young offender institutions, where violence levels surpass those in adult prisons.
The report highlighted that most of the 25 specific children tracked were first-time detainees with complex needs who lacked clear information about their detention.
One child shared his terrifying experience of observing an assault through his window while being held in custody.
“I was scared, there was a lot of shouting and noise, and the next morning there were lots of people [referring to other children] at my door, asking me questions in an intimidating way if you know what I mean,” the child stated.
Justice Secretary David Lammy addressed broader systemic issues during the launch of a government white paper last week.
“We need to tackle the drivers of offending so fewer young people become trapped in cycles of crime,” Lammy said.
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The Howard League for Penal Reform criticized the courts for sending too many children to these toxic environments instead of utilizing community support.
“Prison is a toxic place for children, and spending even a few days in that environment can be terrifying and profoundly damaging,” said Andrea Coomber, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform.
Coomber noted that short-term placements in young offender institutions leave children locked behind doors with very little engagement.
“The majority of children placed on remand and bailed within seven days or fewer are placed in a young offender institution, where they experience long periods locked behind their doors with very little to do,” she said.
Chief Inspector Charlie Taylor explained that youth justice services often lack notice or skills to arrange suitable bail packages, despite the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 establishing custodial remand as a last resort.
“While custodial remand is an essential part of any justice system, two out of every five children in custody are now on remand.
Well over a half of these children do not go on to receive a custodial sentence,” Taylor said.
Taylor noted that professionals across local authorities, custodial institutions, and courts agreed that short-term remands were often avoidable.
“We spoke to professionals – in local authorities, custodial institutions and courts – who agreed that short-term remands were often avoidable, and many had ideas about how the current system could be improved,” he said.
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A government spokesperson stated that the Ministry of Justice intends to ensure children awaiting trial are not held unless public protection requires it, backed by £5 million for community alternatives.
