• Therewereatleast86,034overnightdetentionsofchildrenaged17andunderinpolicecustodyin2010and2011

• HerMajesty’sInspectorateofConstabularyandHerMajesty’sInspectorateofPrisonshaverevealedthatcustodysuitestaffdonotalwaysreceivespecificchildprotectiontraining

• Thenumberofovernightdetentionsofchildreninpolicecustodydecreasedfrom45,318in2010to40,716in2011,adecreaseof10percent.However,therearevariationsacrossEnglandandWalesandinthreepoliceserviceareasthenumberrose

• Spendinganightinpolicecustodycanbeaworrying,frighteningandintimidatingexperienceforachild

• Thenumberofarrestsofchildrenfellby15percentbetween2010and2011yetthenumberofovernightdetentionsonlyfellby10percent

• Somechildrenmayneedsafeemergencyaccommodationiftheyarehomelessortheirparentsareunableorrefusetocollectthemfromthepolicestation.Secureaccommodationshouldonlybenecessaryinahandfulofcasesayear.

Key points

Overnight detention of children in police custody 2010–2011 Research briefing

Key statisticsOfthe86,034overnightdetentionsofchildreninpolicecustodyin2010and2011:

• 13,005weregirls

• 23,779werechildrenofblackandethnicminorityorigin(27percent)

• 10werechildrenundertheageofcriminalresponsibility

• 387werechildrenaged10and11yearsold

• 29,300werechildrenaged17yearsold.

IntroductionTheUnitedNationsConventionontheRightsoftheChildarticle37statesthat:

No child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily. The arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time.

In2011,theHowardLeagueforPenalReformpublishedareport, Overnight detention of children in police cells,followinganalysisofdatafromaFreedomofInformation(FOI)requesttoall43policeservicesinEnglandandWales.Therequestaskedforinformationaboutthenumbersofchildrenundertheageof16detainedinpolicecellsin2008and2009.Twenty-fourpoliceserviceareasprovideddatawhichshowedthattherehadbeenapproximately53,000overnightdetentionsofchildren.

TheHowardLeaguemadeasecondFOIrequestseekingthesameinformationfor2010and2011.Thistime,datawasalsorequestedfor16-and17-year-olds.Thirty-fourpoliceserviceareasrespondedand32policeareasprovidedabreakdownofthedatabyageforchildrenaged17andunder.

Thedatafrom2008and2009wasnotdirectlycomparablewiththedatafrom2010and2011becauseitexcludedtheovernightdetentionofchildrenaged16and17.However,17policeserviceareasprovideddatawhichcouldbedirectlycomparedwiththedataobtainedfortheovernightdetentionofchildreninpolicecustodyin2008and2009.

Thenumberofarrestsofchildrenfellbyathirdbetween2008and2011(HowardLeague,2013).Comparingthedataonchildarrestswiththedataonovernightdetentionrevealedthatchildarrestshadfallenby15percentbetween2010and2011butthenumberofovernightdetentionshadfallenbyonly10percentinthesameperiod.Thefactthatthenumberofovernightdetentionsfellataslowerratethanthenumberofchildarrestssuggeststhereareinherentproblemswithpoliceprocedurewhichwarrantfurtherinvestigation.

Thisresearchbriefinglooksattrendsintheovernightdetentionofchildreninpolicecustody,changesinpracticesince2009andissuesofcontinuingconcern.

How many children are detained overnight?ThedataobtainedbytheHowardLeagueshowsthattherewereatotalof86,034overnightdetentionsofchildrenin2010and2011.Thenumberofdetentionsofchildreninpolicecustodyhaddeclinedfrom45,318in2010to40,716in2011,areductionof10percent.Whiletherewasanoveralldeclineinthenumbersofchildrendetainedovernight,therewerewidevariationsinpracticeandinthreepoliceserviceareasthenumberofovernightdetentionshadincreased.

AgeThenumberofovernightdetentionsofchildrenaged10–13yearsinpolicecustodyhadfallen.Therewere2,617overnightdetentionsofchildrenaged10–13in2010,comparedwith2,292in2011,afallof12percent.Childrenaged10–13accountedfor5percentofthetotalofallovernightdetentionsofchildrenin2010and2011.

Ofthe86,034overnightdetentions,387wereofchildrenofprimaryschoolage.

GenderFifteenpercentofthetotalnumberofovernightdetentionsin2010and2011wereofgirls.Thisisasurprisinglyhighpercentageasgirlsgenerallyrepresentlessthan5percentofcriminalsentences.Thenumberofovernightdetentionsofgirlshadfallenfrom6,386in2010to6,196in2011.Thepercentagefallinthenumberofovernightdetentionsofgirlsandboyswasthesameat10percent.EvidencegiventotheAllPartyParliamentaryGrouponWomeninthePenalSystem(2012)bychiefconstablesindicatedthatpolicetakegirlsintocustodywhenitisthoughttheyneedprotection,forexamplewhentheyareintoxicated;aninappropriateandheavy-handedapproach.

EthnicityAccordingtothedata,23,779(27percent)oftheovernightdetentionswereofblackandethnicminoritychildren.Thisincluded12,062overnightdetentionsin2010and11,717overnightdetentionsin2011.Analysisofthedataonethnicitywasproblematic,reflectingthefindingsoftheHowardLeague’sresearchonchildarrests(2013)whichshowedthatpoliceserviceareadataonethnicitywasdifficulttointerpret,asitincludedamixtureofself-definedandpolice-assumedethnicityandalargenumberofchildrenwereclassifiedasunknownethnicity.

PoliceService 2008and2009(15yearsandunder)

2010(17yearsandunder)

2011(17yearsandunder)

AvonandSomerset 1398 * *

Bedfordshire * 22 9

Cambridgeshire * 349 291

Cheshire * 1230 894

CityofLondon 22 78 55

Cleveland 559 * *

Cumbria 268 482 443

Derbyshire 791 1481 1271

DevonandCornwall 978 393 285

Dorset 246 ** **

Durham * 950 972

DyfedPowys * 476 409

Essex * * *

Gloucestershire 270 66 62

GreaterManchester 16957 * *

GwentPolice * 108 92

Hampshire * * *

HertfordshireConstabulary 388 849 631

HumbersidePolice 390 1670 1628

KentPolice 2764 2088 2005

LancashireConstabulary 2356 2696 2314

LeicestershireConstabulary 882 590 546

LincolnshirePolice * 16 19

MerseysidePolice 5142 1617 1522

Metropolitan * 14370 13860

NorfolkConstabulary 122 338 352

NorthWalesPolice 1253 904 694

NorthYorkshirePolice 823 688 579

NorthamptonshirePolice * 123 85

Northumbria * * *

NottinghamshirePolice 1303 1432 1225

SouthWalesPolice * 917 798

SouthYorkshirePolice * 1270 1044

StaffordshirePolice 313 * *

SuffolkConstabulary * 357 274

SurreyPolice * 43 46

SussexPolice * 1720 1564

ThamesValleyPolice 637 2183 1976

WarwickshirePolice * 235 206

WestMerciaConstabulary 577 566 465

WestMidlandsPolice 12565 * *

WestYorkshirePolice 1845 4469 3729

WiltshireConstabulary * 542 371

Total 52,849 45,318 40,716

Number of overnight detentions of children by police service area

*Nodatawasprovided**Dorsetcouldonlyprovidedataonchildrenheldforfivehoursormore,notspecificallyovernightDatafrom2008/09includeschildrenaged15andunder.Datafrom2010/11includeschildrenaged17andunder.

Veryfewchildrenarrestedwillposeariskofseriousharmtothepublic.Mostcouldbereturnedhomeimmediatelyandaskedtoattendthepolicestationthefollowingmorningifnecessary.TheHowardLeague(2011)foundthatsomechildrenwerebeingdetainedovernightbecausetheirparentorguardianhadrefusedtoattendthepolicestationorwereunabletopickuptheirchild,sometimesbecausetheyhadotherchildrentocareforathome.

Somepoliceareasfailedtomakereasonableattemptstocontactparentsorguardiansorensuretheywereabletocometothepolicestationtotaketheirchildhome.TheCriminalJusticeJointInspection(2011)foundthatinonecasea15-year-oldboyhadbeendetainedovernightinpolicecustodyandtherewasnoevidencethathismotherhadbeennotified.

ThereisconfusionaboutthePoliceandCriminalEvidenceAct1984(PACE)codeofpracticeandrestrictionsoninterviewingchildren.TheCriminalJusticeJointInspection(2011)foundthatchildrenarrestedlateatnightwereroutinelyputincellstosleepuntilthemorning,whenstaffwoulddealwiththem.WhilethismightcomplywithPACElegislationforaneighthourrestperiod,itisnotinthebestinterestsofthechild.Detainingchildrenunnecessarilyisinappropriate,andtheyshouldbesenthomeassoonaspossible.

Secureaccommodationshouldberequestedonlyforthosechildrenwhoposea‘risktothepublicofsignificantharm’butthereviewfoundthatthisconditionwasnotalwaysapplied,andstafffoundtherelevantlegislationunclearandconfusing:

Custody officers normally only requested secure accommodation, without evidencing ‘serious harm’; Local Authority staff failed to challenge the need for secure accommodation; non-secure accommodation was routinely unavailable; and therefore children and young people were not being transferred to Local Authority accommodation after charge.In nearly two-thirds (33) of our case reviews no Local Authority accommodation was sought. Of these, we assessed that 67% would have been suitable for transfer to non-secure Local Authority accommodation but instead continued to be detained in police cells. In all areas non-secure accommodation was available (albeit to varying degrees). (Criminal Justice Joint Inspection p. 8–9)

Trends since 2008 and 2009SeventeenpoliceserviceareasprovideddatawhichwasdirectlycomparabletotheFOIdataobtainedbytheHowardLeagueontheovernightdetentionofchildrenaged15andunderinpolicecustodyin2008and2009.Overall,intheseareas,therewere2,361fewerovernightdetentionsofchildren,adeclineof16percent.However,therewerelargevariationsinpractice:

• DevonandCornwallPoliceServicehad77percentfewerovernightdetentionsofchildreninpolicecustody

• InWestMercia,thenumberofovernightdetentionsofchildreninpolicecustodyhadhalved

• InCumbria,thenumberofovernightdetentionsofchildrenhadrisenby18percent

• InHumbersidethenumberofovernightdetentionsofchildreninpolicecustodyhadincreasedby340percent.

Whileisitnotknownwhytherearesuchvariationsinpracticeinpoliceserviceareas,itisprobablethatlocalfactorsimpactonthenumberofovernightdetentions.Thismightincludealackofbothstafftrainingandawarenessofsafeguardingandchildprotectionissues.

Safeguarding children in police custodyQuinnandJackson(2003)foundthatspendinganightinpolicecustodycouldbeaworrying,frighteningandintimidatingexperienceforchildren.ResearchbytheHowardLeague(2011)highlightedthatpolicetrainingonsafeguardingchildreninpolicecustodywaslimitedandnotallstaffhadundertakenthistraining.EvidencefromjointinspectionreportsofpolicecustodysuitesconductedbyHerMajesty’sInspectorateofConstabulary(HMIC)andHerMajesty’sInspectorateofPrisons(HMIP)(2011,2012a,2012b,2012c)showedthattherecontinuedtobealackofawarenessamongsomestaffofthespecificneedsofchildrenandoflegalsafeguardstoprotectchildren.

The provision of local authority accommodationThehighnumberofchildarrestsinEnglandandWalesiscontributingtothehighnumberofunnecessaryovernightdetentionsofchildren.TheHowardLeague(2013)foundthatin2010and2011therewere443,252arrestsofchildren.Childrenarrestedbetween8pmand12amweremorelikelytobedetainedovernight.Overnightdetentionwasalsomorelikelyforthosearrestedforlow-leveldisorder(HowardLeague,2011).

Recognising the specific needs of childrenAjointinspectionreportbyHMICandHMIPonStaffordshire(2012a)stated,

Custody sergeants at Stoke told us that juveniles were mainly located on E wing. However, on one day during the inspection a 13-year-old was taken to a cell on B wing because the custody sergeant who had booked him in was responsible for that wing and wished to continue to oversee the juvenile while he was in custody. The juvenile refused to go into the cell on B wing and was finally located in a holding room in front of the custody desk. When we spoke to him, he told us he was afraid of being left in a cell on his own and preferred to be in the holding room in view of staff. We were concerned that the custody sergeants did not take this action in the first instance, given the detainee’s age and reluctance to be placed in a cell. (HMIC and HMIP, 2012, p. 15)

TheHowardLeague(2011)recommendedthatcustodysergeants,policeconstablesandciviliandetentionofficersshouldbegivenspecifictrainingondealingwithchildren,includingtherelevantlegislation.Safeguardsforchildrenmustbeinplace24hoursaday,notjustbetweenthehoursof9amand5pm.

ConclusionsTheoveralldeclineinthenumbersofchildrenheldovernightinpolicecustodyfrom2010to2011istobewelcomed.However,therecontinuetobeconcerningvariationsinpractice.

Policearedetainingchildrenovernightforminormisdemeanourswhichcouldberesolvedwithouttheuseofcriminalsanctions.Policeservicesshouldnotbeactingaschildprotectionagents;thisisunnecessaryandinappropriate.

Childrenarebeingneedlesslydetainedinpolicecustodysuitesovernightinordertofitinwithpoliceprocess,ratherthanbecausetheyposeariskorarelikelytoabscond.Veryfewofthechildrenheldovernightneedtobedetainedatall.Mostcouldbesenthomeimmediatelyandtheircasedealtwiththefollowingmorning,iffurtheractionisindeedneeded.Somepolicecustodysuitestaffdonotfullyunderstandthelegislationregardingrequirementsforsecureandnon-secureaccommodationforchildren,whichshouldinanycasebeusedrarely.LocalauthoritieshaveadutyundertheChildrenAct1989toreceivechildrentransferredbythePoliceunderPACEyettheyarefailingtoquestiontheneedforsecureaccommodationandfailingtooffernon-secureaccommodation.

Theovernightdetentionofachildinpolicecustodyshouldberareyetitappearstobehappeningonaweeklybasisinthemajorityofpoliceserviceareas.Themajorityofchildrenchargedwithanoffencedonotrequirecontinueddetentioninlocalauthoritycare,andcouldbetakenhomeimmediately.Onlyonrareoccasions,ifchildrenarevulnerableorhavenohometoreturnto,shouldtheybeplacedinthecareofthelocalauthority.Childrenshouldnotbedetainedbecauseofdelaysinprocedures,staffingissuesortofittheroutineofthecustodysuite.Childrenshouldonlybetransferredtolocalauthoritycareiftheyhavebeenchargedwithaseriousviolentorsexualoffenceandposeacontinuingrisktothepublic,andthisislikelytobeonlyahandfulofcases.

Access to appropriate adults PACEandtheCodeofPracticeCrequirethatanappropriateadult(AA)mustbepresentbeforeunaccompaniedchildrenaged16andunder,orvulnerableadults,canbeinterviewedbythepolice.TheAAisnormallyaparentorguardianbutiftheyareunwillingorunabletoattend,thelocalauthoritymustprovideanAA.ThereisastatutoryrequirementforthelocalyouthoffendingteamtoprovideanAAserviceforchildrenaged16andunderintherelativelyunusualcaseofaparentbeingunableorunwillingtoassist.

Therewere29,300overnightdetentionsofchildrenaged17in2010and2011.Seventeen-year-oldsareexcludedfromthedefinitionof‘juveniles’underPACElegislation,meaningthatparentsorguardiansdonothavetobeinformedorbepresentiftheirchildisinterviewedbythepolice.InarecentcourtcaseinwhichtheHowardLeagueintervened(R (on the application of HC) v. Secretary of State for the Home Department and Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis[CORef7772/2012]),thecurrentprovisionswithinPACEwerefoundtobeunlawfulandtheSecretaryofState’sfailuretoamendCodeCwasfoundtobeinbreachofherobligationsundertheHumanRightsAct1998.FormalamendmentstoPACEwillbeconsideredandprogressedthroughthecontinuationoftheseproceedings,butintheinterimandtoensurethatpolicestaffactlawfully,allcustodystaffmustnowmakecertainthatany17-year-oldwhoisdetainedatapolicestationistreatedasachild.AllprovisionswithinPACEthatrelatetothetreatmentofchildren,andspecificallyinrelationtotheprovisionofappropriateadults,mustnowbereadtoinclude17-year-oldsandtherefore,17-year-oldsshouldnowhaveaccesstoaparent,guardianorappropriateadultwithoutexception.

ISBN978-1-905994-65-62013

t 02072497373e info@howardleague.orgw www.howardleague.org

RegisteredcharityNo.251926CompanylimitedbyguaranteeNo.898514

1ArdleighRoadLondonN14HS

9 781905 994656

ISBN 978-1-905994-65-6

HMInspectorateofPrisonsandHMInspectorateofConstabulary(2012b)Report on an unannounced follow-up inspection visit to police custody suites in Avon and Somerset, 9–13 July 2012.London:HMIPandHMIC.

HMInspectorateofPrisonsandHMInspectorateofConstabulary(2012c)Report on an unannounced inspection visit to police custody suites in the Metropolitan Police Service Borough Operational Command Unit of Redbridge, 30 January –2 February 2012.London:HMIPandHMIC.

TheHowardLeagueforPenalReform(2011)Overnight detention of children in police cells.London:theHowardLeagueforPenalReform.

TheHowardLeagueforPenalReform(2013)Child arrests in England and Wales 2008–2011: Research briefing.London:theHowardLeagueforPenalReform.

Quinn,K.,andJackson,J.(2003)The detention and questioning of young persons by the police in Northern Ireland.Belfast:NorthernIrelandStatisticsandResearchAgency.

About the Howard League for Penal ReformTheHowardLeagueisanationalcharityworkingforlesscrime,safercommunitiesandfewerpeopleinprison.

Wecampaign,researchandtakelegalactiononawiderangeofissues.Weworkwithparliament,themedia,criminaljusticeprofessionals,studentsandmembersofthepublic,influencingdebateandforcingthroughmeaningfulchange.

Key recommendations• Thepracticeofdetainingchildrenovernightinpolicecellsshouldbebroughttoanend

• Policeservicesshouldworkmorecloselywithchildren’sservicestoprovidesafeandappropriatecareforchildrenwhocometotheirattention

• Thepresumptionofbailshouldbestrictlyappliedtochildren

• Policemustreceivetrainingonsafeguardingandchildprotectionandmustbeawareofcurrentlegislationregardingthedetentionofchildren

• FollowingthecourtjudgmentthatPACEshouldbeamendedtomakechildprotectionprocessesconsistentfor17-year-olds,newguidelinesmustbeissuedtopoliceservices.

ReferencesAllPartyParliamentaryGrouponWomeninthePenalSystem(2012)Keeping girls out of the penal system.London:theHowardLeagueforPenalReform.

CriminalJusticeJointInspection(2011)Who’slookingoutforthechildren?A joint inspection of Appropriate Adult provision and children in detention after charge: An Inspection led by HMI Constabulary with HMI Prisons, HMI Probation, the Care Quality Commission, the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales.London:CJJI

HMInspectorateofPrisonsandHMInspectorateofConstabulary(2011)Report on an inspection visit to police custody suites in Northumbria, 1– 5 August 2011.London:HMIPandHMIC.

HMInspectorateofPrisonsandHMInspectorateofConstabulary(2012a)Report on an inspection visit to police custody suites in Staffordshire 28 May– 1 June 2012.London:HMIPandHMIC.