According to a report recently published by the Howard League for Penal Reform, Sussex Police detained 1564 children in custody cells overnight during 2011. Although this was a drop of 9% when compared to 2010 the number of girls detained rose from 329 to 350, a 6% increase. There can be a number of reasons why a child could end up being detained in custody. They might be perceived to be at risk from being returned home, or in some cases it may be viewed that they pose a risk to others in the home concerned. It may also be that their home life means that they are unlikely to remain in their home overnight due to their own behaviour or the behaviour of others in the residence. In some cases there may be problems in making appropriate contact with their parents or carers. As a previous candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, youth detention was a particular concern for me. Not only are some children detained in custody centres overnight, but in certain cases it is not possible for these children to be seen by suitably trained magistrates on the following day, which can lead to these children being transported to a youth offenders institution for further nights until suitable magistrates are available. It is not clear if these extended detentions are included in the report from the Howard League. The nearest YOI to Sussex are in Rochester, Sutton or Feltham which means that any visits to these vulnerable young people by parents or carers will involve extensive and expensive journeys. The responsibility for paying for the transport and accommodation costs for these young people rests with the relevant County Council or Brighton & Hove City Council. Although the numbers of children detained are substantial across Sussex as a whole, for each local authority there are insufficient numbers to justify commissioning a local provider for secure accommodation (and few politicians are willing to grapple with this terrible situation). One of the benefits of having a Police and Crime Commissioner is that the person elected should bring together the three upper tier local authorities and with them commission some secure accommodation in Sussex. This could be cost neutral or even save money overall and would improve the safety and comfort of children who are throughout this process innocent of any crime, whilst they wait to be seen by a magistrate.

We are a civilised society, our GDP places us as the 8th largest economy in the world and we are 23rd in the world when GDP per person is measured. Our society cannot justify locking up children, in some cases for their own protection, miles away from their families and other social support. It is vital that we continue to see a reduction in the figures which this report reveals, let us hope we can also reverse the trend of the increase in girls being detained. Yet we need to ensure that where needed, suitable secure accommodation is provided as close to homes as possible so that the taxpayers do not spend unnecessary money on transportation and space in Young Offenders Institutions, which are not suitable places for innocent children. In a time of austerity someone needs to commission suitable accommodation for these vulnerable young people and end the tragedy of sending innocent Sussex children to prison.