Concerns around YOI Wetherby raise wider questions over youth offender rehabilitation

A girl was pinned down and forcibly stripped by a group of male prison guards at YOI Wetherby, according to the report by the chief inspector of prisons. Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor said girls only ended up being housed at Wetherby because of the “closure of failing institutions elsewhere”.

The system for rehabilitating young offenders is clearly failing. Female offenders need to be removed from Wetherby and placed in dedicated facilities that provide a clear pathway to rehabilitation.

The distinct lack of a coherent plan is evident when it comes to caring for female child offenders - this is highlighted in the report.

Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza says she was “appalled” by the findings and has written to Justice Secretary Alex Chalk to ask how conditions are being improved, adding that too many children were being “incarcerated rather than cared for”. The Justice Secretary needs to come up with a comprehensive improvement plan that addresses the issues highlighted by the Wetherby report. It can’t just be seen as an isolated situation.

Looking in from the outside, few people will be able to comprehend the situation faced by prison staff. The complexities and difficulties that they are confronted with must not be overlooked with sometimes staff having to put themselves in harm’s way. They need to be given the appropriate training to deal with any changes in their job requirements.