Damage, Harm and Death in Child Prisons in England and Wales: Questions of Abuse and Accountability

Abstract

The United Nations is currently undertaking a major international study of violence against children. This article is framed within the conceptual context of the UN study; it explores the violence intrinsic to key aspects of youth justice policy and practice in England and Wales and, more particularly, the damage, harm and death of child prisoners. The article advances an argument that the treatment and conditions endured by child prisoners within the specific jurisdiction is tantamount to institutional child abuse. This raises key questions of responsibility and accountability, questions that successive governments have thus far sought to evade.

Ashley Smith and Incarcerated Young Women: Marginalized at Any Age

“…Taken together, our studies on adolescents and young adults suggest that for at least ten to twentyfive percent of youth, custody can be a painful experience (Cesaroni and Peterson-Badali 2005, 2010. Our work supports conclusions from previous studies that found that custody can be harmful to the emotional and psychological integrity of young people (see Goldson 2006). The research reviewed in this article suggests that at least for vulnerable young adults, prison may be equally damaging to young adults as custody is to adolescents.…”

“…Our own studies conclude that for as much as a quarter of young offenders and young adults, custody is an isolating experience in which youth spend their free time in the facility alone and far from family, feeling that staff cannot be relied upon for support or trusted; they are fearful and never fully get over the initial stress of incarceration (Cesaroni and Peterson-Badali 2010;Liebling 2003;Zamble and Porporino 1988). It is important to note that for some young people a prison sentence may mark the first time away from home of some duration (Biggam and Power 1997;Cesaroni and Bala 2008;Goldson, 2006). Research suggests that the pains "of imprisonment"-such as loss of freedom and missing family and friends-may be felt more acutely by a young person than by an adult (Cesaroni and Peterson-Badali 2005, 2010Havey 2007;Liebling 1999).…”

“…In the period of incarceration, the individual characteristics that a young person “walks into” prison with, together with characteristics of the institution itself (e.g., physical environment, staff, peers) contribute to the young person’s ability to adjust to prison life (Cesaroni and Peterson-Badali 2010; Gover 2000; Kolivoski and Shook 2016). However, institutional characteristics become more important in predicting young people’s adjustment the longer they remain in custody (Cesaroni and Peterson-Badali 2010; Gover, Perez, and Jennings 2008).…”

The Importance of Institutional Culture to the Adjustment of Incarcerated Youth and Young Adults

“…She argues that staff attitudes, training, and culture are key to these dimensions. Though official discourse tends to privilege constructions of individual pathology, referring to 'imported' or 'innate' vulnerability, 'failure to cope,' 'weakness,' and 'inadequacy' in regard to the adjustment of youth (Goldson 2006), Liebling (2006) suggests that a strong traditional guard culture, which includes the overuse of authority, maintaining a distance from prisoners, distrust of outsiders, and an avoidant approach to inmate problems, is negatively related to program effectiveness, including prisoner suicide prevention and well-being. Conversely, staff can also play a large part in creating an atmosphere that feels safe, is therapeutic, and contributes to successful interventions with youth.…”

Racial Profiling, Surveillance and Over-Policing: The Over-Incarceration of Young First Nations Males in Australia

“…First Nations peoples and organisations that facilitate First Nations led programs have better prospects than non-Indigenous government led programs at achieving long-term success (Hunt 2013;O'Brien and Trudgett 2018). Goldson (2006) stated that to institutionalise children with multifaceted needs and who present with complex vulnerabilities is a fundamentally violent act in of itself.…”