YOUNG offender institutions are significantly more violent than prisons holding adult men, the Chief Inspector of Prisons has warned.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons published two reports today that it said “paint a bleak picture of youth custody in England and Wales.”

The inspectorate said that while the number of children in custody continued to fall in 2022-23, levels of violence and self-harm rose by just over a quarter and a third respectively.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor said it was particularly disappointing to see that relationships with staff have deteriorated over the past year.

The children in custody report by the inspectorate found that young offenders spent “far too long alone in their cells.”

Almost a third of those who spend less than two hours unlocked each day are “doing absolutely nothing with their time in custody,” the report said.

The inspectorate said children’s establishments were richly resourced in terms of staff numbers — Werrington, for instance, employs 340 staff to care for just 89 children.

But it added that the profile of staffing meant there were “plenty of senior managers” but a shortage of “front-line officers who should be working directly with children.”

Howard League for Penal Reform chief executive Andrea Coomber KC said: “Every child needs fresh air, exercise, education and contact with other people if they are to grow up, thrive and lead healthy lives.

“But the calls we receive reveal that children in prison are spending hours on end locked inside their cells, fearing for their safety.

“The inspectorate’s survey results only underline the fact that prison is no place for a child.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “We are recruiting a specialist youth justice workforce trained to work with extremely vulnerable children and rolling out improved education services, as we strive to help them turn their backs on crime for good.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The number of children in custody has fallen by 79 pre cent since 2010 as a result of early intervention work and the wider use of robust community sentences.

“Those who remain have often committed the most serious offences and have exceptionally complex needs but thanks to our hardworking staff, self-harm has reduced in the youth estate by a fifth over the last year.

“We are recruiting a specialist youth justice workforce trained to work with extremely vulnerable children and rolling out improved education services, as we strive to help them turn their backs on crime for good.”