§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) 15-year-olds and (b) 16-year-olds were remanded in prison in each year since 1997. [85641]
§ Hilary BennInformation on the number of 15 and 16-year-old males received into prison on remand from 1997–2001 is given in the table.
Year Number of 15-year-olds Number of 16-year-olds 1997 689 1,354 1998 625 1,217 1999 530 1,182 2000 526 1,045 2001 (P) 477 1,001 15 and 16-year-old females cannot be received into prison on remand.
§ Dr. VisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have been held in prisons outside the juvenile estate in each of the last twelve months; and in which prisons. [83836]
§ Hilary BennInformation on the number of under-18s held in prisons outside the juvenile estate is given in the table.
The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales is responsible for the placement of under-18s remanded or sentenced to custody. It is sometimes necessary for them to be placed outside the juvenile estate, and this is particularly so where girls are concerned. The number of girls in Prison Service custody is too low for them to be accommodated in juvenile-only accommodation whilst at the same time maintaining proximity to home and providing an appropriate level of educational and recreational services. The Board nevertheless seeks to avoid mixing as far as possible and is supporting the development of under-18 wings within larger women-only establishments.
Occasionally, juveniles are held outside the juvenile estate for the duration of their trial if their case is being heard in a Crown Court without any conveniently located juvenile establishment. In such circumstances, they are held on young offender wings, ie with 18 to 20-year-olds rather than with adults as such. Even more exceptionally, a juvenile may be categorised as Category A and be accommodated in a high security establishment.
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Under-18s held in prisons outside the juvenile estate Number Prisons held in 2001 December 8 Chelmsford, Glen Parva, Northallerton, Reading, Holloway 2002 January 21 Glen Parva, Norwich, Reading, Holloway, Styal February 19 Chelmsford, Glen Parva, Reading, Holloway, Low Newton, Styal
Under-18s held in prisons outside the juvenile estate Number Prisons held in March 31 Chelmsford, Glen Parva, Reading, Holloway, Styal April 17 Chelmsford. Glen Parva, Reading, Holloway, Low Newton May 11 Glen Parva, Holloway, Styal June 12 Glen Parva, Reading, Holloway July 13 Glen Parva. Reading, Holloway, Low Newton, Styal August 11 Glen Parva, Holloway, Low Newton, Styal September 8 Holloway, Low Newton, Styal October 15 Holloway, Low Newton, Styal November 12 Highdown, Holloway, Styal