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‘Culture of fighting’ in juvenile prison

SCORES of appeals for help were made to the Howard League for Penal Reform last year over conditions at a prison for teenage boys.

A “culture of fighting” at Cookham Wood prison, Kent is revealed in a report published today by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons.

A quarter of the boys, aged 15 to 18, are confined to their cells all day and two-thirds of the boys had physical restraint used against them, according to the report.

The charity said it received almost 60 requests for help from or on behalf of the teenagers last year.

Problems included a boy who tried for three months to get phone access to call his mother.

Also there was a case of a mother who was banned from visits following a disagreement with staff.

The league also received a call about a boy who could not speak English and had no access to an interpreter despite being in prison for two weeks.  

The league’s chief executive Frances Crook said: “What children need is a culture of care — something that a prison cannot provide, no matter how well led it might be. 

“Everyone knows this, so why are children still being sent there?”

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