Recommendations & Conclusions
4 items
13
Recommendation
12th Report: Children and Young People …
Accepted in Part
BAME children are disproportionately remanded to custody and some of the children remanded to custody, will not then go on to receive a custodial sentence. The Youth Justice Board should update the Committee on the findings of their commissioned research. We agree with Transform Justice, that the disproportionate use of …
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BAME children are disproportionately remanded to custody and some of the children remanded to custody, will not then go on to receive a custodial sentence. The Youth Justice Board should update the Committee on the findings of their commissioned research. We agree with Transform Justice, that the disproportionate use of remand has not satisfactorily been explained, and we recommend that the Ministry of Justice provide an explanation of why the levels of BAME children being remanded to custody are disproportionately high. This explanation should include comparative data on the numbers of BAME children and other pleading guilty and differences in the types of offences of which BAME children and others are accused, in particular where they are likely to result in remand in custody. The Ministry should also set out the steps it is taking to prevent unconscious bias in decision-making. (Paragraph 83) Youth Courts and Sentencing
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts disproportionality is a concern and commits to sharing the YJB's commissioned research findings on ethnic disproportionality in remand and sentencing, which aims to provide the requested explanation and data, once published. It notes judicial training on unconscious bias is under review and …
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Ministry of Justice
18
Recommendation
12th Report: Children and Young People …
Accepted in Part
Delays have a fundamental impact on all those involved in proceedings. The Ministry of Justice and HMCTS should set out what is being done to specifically address delays in the youth justice system and manage any existing backlogs. The Ministry should include details on what the current capacity is in …
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Delays have a fundamental impact on all those involved in proceedings. The Ministry of Justice and HMCTS should set out what is being done to specifically address delays in the youth justice system and manage any existing backlogs. The Ministry should include details on what the current capacity is in the youth courts, and what plans exist to increase capacity.
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Government response AI summary
The government provides data on youth outstanding cases up to June 2020 and details the work of the Youth Justice Working Group, established to reduce COVID-19 delays and backlogs. It reports that recovery plans have enabled youth courts to conclude more cases than received since …
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Ministry of Justice
11
Recommendation
16th Report - Children and young people…
Accepted in Part
We welcome the Ministry of Justice’s commitment to implement in full the remainder of David Lammy’s recommendations within the next 12 months. The Ministry should set out what resource has been allocated to this piece of work. We recommend that the response to this Report provide a full and detailed …
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We welcome the Ministry of Justice’s commitment to implement in full the remainder of David Lammy’s recommendations within the next 12 months. The Ministry should set out what resource has been allocated to this piece of work. We recommend that the response to this Report provide a full and detailed timetable setting out how and by when those recommendations will be implemented. We recommend that that timetable be accompanied by an outline of how sufficient resources will be provided in the immediate and longer terms to ensure that disproportionality in the system is reduced now and remains so in future. (Paragraph 77) Youth Justice Reform
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Government response AI summary
The government highlights its commitment to the Lammy Review, detailing updates and launching the Race Action Programme with a 20-strong team and £100,000 in funding for BAME-led organizations, but does not provide the requested full and detailed timetable for implementation or a comprehensive outline of …
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Ministry of Justice
12
Recommendation
16th Report - Children and young people…
Accepted in Part
We welcome development of the secure school model and agree with the Minister for Justice, Lucy Frazer QC MP, that this offers an opportunity to reform the existing estate to better meet the needs of the children it holds. It is disappointing that the timetable for opening has been subject …
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We welcome development of the secure school model and agree with the Minister for Justice, Lucy Frazer QC MP, that this offers an opportunity to reform the existing estate to better meet the needs of the children it holds. It is disappointing that the timetable for opening has been subject to continued delays, with opening of the first school planned for 2020 now pushed back to 2022, five years after the original commitment to developing two secure schools. The Ministry of Justice should set out Children and Young People in Custody (part 2): The Youth Secure Estate and Resettlement 43 why the opening has been subject to repeated delays. We recommend that it guarantee that the first school will open as now planned in 2022, and set out what is being done to ensure that that opening is achieved on time.
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Government response AI summary
The government explains delays are due to complex legal and regulatory issues for this innovative model, and outlines ongoing work like appointing a constructor and commencing renovation by the end of the year, but only states they "continue to work towards" the late 2022 opening …
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Ministry of Justice