Children are witnessing extreme violence, including stabbings, while being held unnecessarily in custody awaiting trial or sentencing, according to a report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales. One child told inspectors he had watched through his window as another child was stabbed and found it “scary”.
The report reveals that almost 100 children each year are remanded to custody only to be bailed or moved to local authority accommodation within less than two weeks. Between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025, 190 children were remanded before being bailed; of these, 91 (48%) were in custody for two weeks or less, and 65 (34%) for seven days or less.
Most of these children were in custody for the first time, few were given clear information about why they were being held, and many were vulnerable with complex needs, including neurodivergent conditions, trauma, or experience of local authority care. Over half of those remanded for less than a week were held in young offender institutions, where violence levels are higher than in any adult prison.
Andrea Coomber, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said prison is a “toxic place for children” and that spending even a few days can be “terrifying and profoundly damaging”. She noted that most children placed on remand and bailed within seven days are held in young offender institutions, where they experience long periods locked behind doors with little to do.
HM chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, said that while custodial remand is essential, two out of every five children in custody are on remand, and well over half do not receive a custodial sentence. He added that professionals agreed short-term remands were often avoidable. The findings come as the government plans an overhaul of youth justice, including a 25% cut in custodial remand for children by the end of this parliament.
