It is clear that there will always be examples of people of all ages that need to be held outside of the public space but locking up significant numbers of children in locations miles away from their families and support teams that are large scale prisons in all but name is clearly very damaging. Feltham Young Offenders Institution is a classic case of a site that needs to be closed and most of the young people need to be cared for and protected in other ways that avoid such a toxic enviroinment. As this article explains ‘Maggie Atkinson, who was Children’s Commissioner for England between 2010 and 2015, believes a “modern society” should take a more caring approach. She said: “The incarceration of children and young people is at best unproductive, and at worst qualifies as cruel and inhumane treatment. “It often scars the children and young people involved still more deeply than whatever has happened to them that made them offend.”

I agree with Maggie and with the various charities that are the catalyst for this campaign, It is one that can be signed up to on the Article 39 website here. I am pleased to have signed up and would encourage other people to do the same.