Custody

T2A believes that every effort should be made to keep non-violent young adults out of custody, and that the courts should be able to issue effective and tailored community sentences to young adults.

The sentence of Detention in a Young Offenders (DYOI) for 18 to 20 year olds is an important legislative safeguard for young adults sentenced to custody. It was specifically designed to ensure that young adults were managed within a distinct prison regime with a focus on education, purposeful activity and addressing the specific needs of the age group. These dedicated institutions have gradually been changed into generic accommodation in which young adults serving such a sentence are now held alongside older adults. T2A believes that this has undermined the legislative intent of there being a dedicated sentence for young adults. There is no specific custodial provision for young adult women, who are disproportionately likely to receive a short sentence.

For young adults whose offences require a prison sentence, working effectively with them as they serve long sentences — including those who will spend all their formative period of young adulthood in custody — is of paramount importance in getting good outcomes for individuals and society. T2A recommends the development and delivery of prison accommodation suitable for young adults, as well as staffing models and regimes which provide the best conditions to work effectively with young adults to support rehabilitation and cut crime. Prison officers should be aware of HMPPS’ Model for Operational Delivery for prisons holding young adults, it provides a summary of the services and activities that prison’s holding young adults should deliver.