NCJ Number
133565
Date Published
1991
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Placing untried and unsentenced juveniles in detention facilities in Great Britain is generally regarded as undesirable, and the numbers of these youths entering prisons and remand centers declined from 4,812 in 1976 to 1,630 in 1984 and to 1,300 in the 12 months ending in June 1990.
Abstract
The conditions these youths encounter are usually much worse than those for juvenile offenders sentenced to juvenile correctional facilities. They are held in wings of adult prisons or in remand centers, often with young adults aged 17 to 20. Many are confined for long hours in overcrowded cells or in dormitories where they experience bullying and intimidation. In February 1991 the British Home Office issued proposals to prohibit juvenile detention except to protect the public from serious harm. The Criminal Justice Act 1991 included these provisions and gives new powers to courts that are remanding juveniles to local agencies.