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Too many children face short-term remand as processes fail them

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A new report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons finds that children are too often held in custody while awaiting trial or sentencing, even when professionals believe they could be safely and more cost-effectively managed in the community.

Between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025, 190 children were remanded to custody before subsequently being bailed, with over half held in young offender institutions, where levels of violence remain higher than in any adult prison. Almost half of the remanded children spent just two weeks or less in custody, and these short stays meant they received little or no access to meaningful education or support.

The report highlights the cases of 25 children, all of whom were taken into custody for seven days or less. Most were in custody for the first time, few were given clear information about why they were being held, and some said they were confused and scared. Many were vulnerable and had complex needs, including neurodivergent conditions, previous experience of trauma, and experience of being in local authority care.

Youth justice services, which work with children at risk of offending or who have already offended, were frequently not told when a child had been remanded, meaning they did not always have time to arrange a suitable bail package quickly enough to avoid the child being detained in custody. In some areas, particularly where fewer children were remanded, youth justice services lacked the necessary skills and experience to engage with the national courts and tribunals service and to provide credible alternatives to custody.

The report builds on the findings from a 2023 review by HM Inspectorate of Prisons and HM Inspectorate of Probation, which also found children remanded in custody faced worse outcomes than those remanded in the community in other areas, including financial support for their family to visit and accessing entitlements such as money to make phone calls to social workers or family.

While custodial remand is an essential part of any justice system, two out of every five children in custody are now on remand. Well over a half of these children do not go on to receive a custodial sentence.

This is the latest in a series of reports since 2022 that have outlined the problems facing children held on remand, and in that time little has changed. Yet we spoke to professionals – in local authorities, custodial institutions and courts – who agreed that short-term remands were often avoidable, and many had ideas about how the current system could be improved.

There is a clear need for action: the Ministry of Justice should listen to and support the enthusiasm of those working in this area for change. Recent commitments as part of the Youth Justice White Paper are an encouraging first step, and we will be watching closely for early signs of progress.
Charlie Taylor, Chief Inspector of Prisons

Notes to editors

  1. A copy of this report, published on 27 May 2026, can be found on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website at: www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/
  2. A copy of the 2023 joint thematic inspection of work with children subject to remand in youth detention can be found at: A joint thematic inspection of work with children subject to remand in youth detention – HM Inspectorate of Prisons. The Ministry of Justice’s ‘Review of Custodial Remand for Children’ (2022) is available at: Review of Custodial Remand for Children January 2022
  3. HM Inspectorate of Prisons is an independent inspectorate, inspecting places of detention to report on conditions and treatment and promote positive outcomes for those detained and the public.
  4. The Youth Custody Service provided HMI Prisons with case-level details on remanded children released to the community in the 12 months between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025. A sample of 25 children was selected, all of whom were remanded for seven days or less. The sample covered different geographical regions, all young offender institutions and Oakhill Secure Training Centre. The age, gender and ethnicity of children was also considered during the sampling process.
  5. The following activities were conducted: interviews with the YJS worker, interviews with the resettlement practitioner to which the child was remanded, interview with the child. Inspectors also met with other interested parties, including the judiciary, Magistrates Association, London Accommodation Pathfinder and the voluntary sector to gather views on the current circumstances relating to the use of short-term remand for children.
  6. Please email media@hmiprisons.gov.uk if you would like more information.