Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Young People in Custody: Covid-19

Tuesday 22 September 2020 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister held a remote meeting with governors of the youth estate to address difficulties faced by children in custody during the COVID period.
  • Government prioritised education in youth custody institutions, opening them before adult estates, and plans to closely examine how to handle education while maintaining health and safety measures.
  • The lockdown measures in prisons were necessary to prevent potential deaths based on Public Health England advice, aiming to avoid transmission and protect health.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Emma Lewell Lab South Shields
Justice & Courts Children & Families
Context

The question arises from concerns about the effects of the pandemic on youth custody and rehabilitation.

Question

What assessment has been made of the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on young people in custody? I am concerned about difficulties faced by children in custody during this period, including issues with face-to-face education and social visits. What steps are being taken to address these challenges?

Answer from Lucy Frazer

I am aware of the difficulties faced by many children in custody during the COVID period. I recently held a remote meeting with all governors of the youth estate to discuss these impacts, resulting in prioritisation of face-to-face education and social visits for young people's mental health. Both have been resumed across the youth estate.

Answered
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Q2 Cat Smith Lab Lancaster and Wyre
Crime & Law Enforcement Education
Context

With a potential resurgence of the virus, there is concern about maintaining access to essential services like education and rehabilitation for youth in custody.

Question

As the second wave approaches, what specific plans does the Minister have to ensure that all young people and children in custody can access proper face-to-face education and rehabilitation, which are vital for their well-being?

Answer from Lucy Frazer

The Government have prioritised education in youth custody institutions, opening them up before adult estates. As we plan for future restrictions, we will closely examine how to handle education while maintaining health and safety measures.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific plans not detailed beyond general statements about prioritisation and examination of lessons learned.

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Q3 Emma Lewell Lab South Shields
Crime & Law Enforcement Children & Families
Context

During the pandemic, there have been concerns about excessive cell time, cancelled educational activities, and halted family visits for young people in prison.

Question

Despite previous answers, throughout the pandemic, children in prison faced over 23 hours of daily confinement with cancelled education and therapy sessions and stopped family visits. Does the Minister believe these measures aided or hindered rehabilitation?

Answer from Lucy Frazer

The lockdown was necessary to prevent potential deaths in prisons based on Public Health England advice. While there were different issues with the youth estate, measures were taken to avoid transmission and protect health, but we recognise education's importance and have prioritised it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specifics about whether these criminal measures helped or hindered rehabilitation are not addressed clearly beyond general statements on actions taken.

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Q4 Peter Kyle Lab Hove and Portslade
Justice & Courts
Context

Despite a decline in youth referrals to court, there remains a significant backlog of cases awaiting justice.

Question

While the number of young people required to attend court fell by 10,000 before the pandemic, the backlog remained unchanged. With demand dropping by a third and lack of competence shown so far, what hope is there for resolving this in challenging times?

Answer from Lucy Frazer

We are managing the court backlog across Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service. I am closely examining the youth estate due to its unique challenges, ensuring swift justice for young people who are particularly vulnerable compared to adults in the adult estate.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific measures not detailed beyond general statements about management of backlog and prioritisation of youth cases.

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