press release

New Prime Minister must take urgent action on children's rights

webmaster — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:49:34 +0000

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE CHILDREN'S RIGHTS ALLIANCE FOR ENGLAND

The Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE) welcomes Gordon Brown's continuing determination to end child poverty but urges him to be the first British Prime Minister to make fulfilling the detailed obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child a priority right across government.

Carolyne Willow, National co-ordinator of the Children’s Rights Alliance, says:

“Five years ago the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child set out the actions required by Government to protect children's rights in our country. After years of neglect, we are looking to the new Prime Minister for strong leadership on children's rights and social justice. Every Minister that makes policy affecting children should be required to use the Convention and the UN Committee's recommendations as their framework for action.”

This Sunday the Government is due to send its five-year progress report to the United Nations on implementing children’s rights in England and the other UK countries. Though there have been some improvements, such as steps taken to increase the child’s voice in decision-making, there are many areas in which children’s rights continue to be ignored. CRAE anticipates progress will fall far short of the measures expected by the UN Committee. The Children’s Rights Alliance has identified over 40 breaches of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which the UK has been signed up to since 1991.

Kate Bratt-Farrar, Save the Children England Programme, adds:

“This Convention sets the international standard for children's rights but the Government is currently failing on many counts. There is now an opportunity to reverse this, and to put children's rights firmly at the heart of the Government’s policies.”

Millions of children in England face discrimination and deprivation. The recent UNICEF study on children’s well-being ranks the UK at the bottom of the world’s richest countries. What is more the most vulnerable children like child refugees, children subject to violence, trafficked children and children in trouble with the law are not receiving the standard of protection demanded by international law. Sandra Horley OBE, Chief executive of Refuge, says:

“The Convention is clear that all children in all settings have the right to protection from all forms of violence. The Government still has time to act on the strong recommendations of the UN Committee before the formal examination takes place next year.”

The Children’s Rights Alliance for England calls on Brown's Government to remove its reservations relating to child refugees and children in custody with adults. A similar reservation relating to women refugees was removed three years ago, and the Government promised two years ago to stop holding girls in prison with women.

The creation of the first Department for Children, Schools and Families gives children a much higher profile in government because it brings together responsibility for the main aspects of children’s policy. CRAE welcomes the new crosscutting role of the Children's Minister Beverley Hughes.

As a first step it should ensure that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is fully applied in schools. This means, for instance, giving children genuine consultation rights in the running of their school and including the Convention on the Rights of the Child in the national curriculum.

Anita Tiessen, Deputy Executive Director at UNICEF UK, says:

“The Convention provides a set of values and principles that are empowering for both adults and children; it shows the way in building a culture that puts child well-being centre-stage, where it belongs.”

Notes:

1. The Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations in 1989. All but two states (the USA and Somalia) have ratified it. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child examines periodic reports by states parties to ascertain the success of the states party in meeting its treaty obligations.

2. The UK entered reservations when it ratified the Convention. The UK has not ratified the optional protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

3. The third report by the UK to the Committee on the Rights of the Child is due to reach the UN Committee no later than Sunday 15 July 2007. The Department for Children, Families and Schools is co-ordinating the Government's report. The formal examination in Geneva is expected to take place in 2008.

4. The Government's draft children's rights report to the UN was criticised strongly by children's charities, penal reform organisations and groups working with refugee families. The draft report contained little information about how the Convention on the Rights of the Child had been implemented across the UK, and the impact for children.

5. The Children’s Rights Alliance for England is a coalition of over 380 non-governmental organisations which work together to secure the full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in England. The coalition will submit its evidence to the UN Committee at the end of the year.

Media contacts (different agencies):

Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE) – Carolyne Willow (National co-ordinator) mobile 07949 434 787
Howard League for Penal Reform – Frances Crook (Director) 0207 312 7685 and mobile 0777 874 0653
NSPCC – Katie Canning 0207 825 2604 and mobile 07976 206 625
Refuge – Catherine Cullen 020 7395 7744 and mobile 07970 894 240
Save the Children – Sophie Elmhirst 0207 012 6403 and mobile 07779 012 934
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health – Claire Brunert 0207 307 8004
UNICEF UK – Anna France-Williams 0207 312 7685 and mobile 07814 676567

Press release: Rod Morgan

webmaster — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:41:00 +0000

NAYJ is deeply saddened to hear of the resignation of Professor Rod Morgan from the Youth Justice Board.

'Rod Morgan has bought a measured and rational voice into what has often been the hysterical debate on youth crime and will be sorely missed'

said Geoff Monaghan, Chair of NAYJ.

'We fully endorse his comments made to the BBC yesterday – far too many children are coming into the formal criminal justice system who could be dealt with much more effectively elsewhere. It can only be a matter of shame that the result of this is that we continue to lock up more children than almost any other country in Europe'.

Thousands of children to spend Christmas behind bars

webmaster — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 23:33:31 +0000

Most children are looking forward to Christmas – a happy family occasion. But nearly 3000 children will spend Christmas behind bars, often hundreds of miles away from their home and family.

As Youth Justice Board figures reveal that nearly 3000 children in England and Wales will spend Christmas 2006 in custody, an influential group of organisations – including Barnardo’s, the NSPCC, The Children’s Society, Nacro and others – have called for a new approach to youth justice.

In its paper 'Still Waiting for Youth Justice', the Standing Committee for Youth Justice (SCYJ) has called the increased use of custody for children ‘one of the most alarming developments within youth justice’. While recognising that a small number of children who commit serious offences need to be placed in custody in order to protect the public, in most cases the use of custody is an unnecessary, expensive, and ineffective response to their offending behaviour, and can be deeply damaging to children.

Most children in custody will be placed in prison service young offender institutions (YOIs) –often far away from their families, making visits difficult. Notwithstanding the best efforts of staff, YOIs – particularly when overcrowded - are ineffective in meeting the educational and rehabilitation needs of children.

Pam Hibbert, Chair of the Standing Committee for Youth Justice said:

This Christmas around 3000 children and young people will be in custody: many of them will not get a visit from their family because pressure on the system means they are too far away from home. Many of these children could be better dealt with by community penalties, ensuring they face up to their offending behaviour and make restoration in their own community. It is time for a new approach to dealing with children in trouble, one which is more effective, less costly and less damaging then the ever increasing use of custody

A copy of 'Still Waiting for Youth Justice' is attached to this release. For further information please contact:

Pam Hibbert: pam.hibbert@barnardos.org.uk ; tel 020 8498 7746

Notes to editors:

The SCYJ is a membership body which:

a) Provides a forum for organisations, primarily in the non-statutory sector, working to promote the welfare of children who become engaged in the youth justice system; and
b) Advocates a child-focussed youth justice system that promotes the integration of such children into society and thus serves the best interests of the children themselves and the community at large.

Membership:

Barnardo’s
Children’s Legal Centre
Children’s Rights Alliance for England
Children’s Rights Officers Association
Coram
CRE
Drugscope
JUSTICE
Nacro
National Association for Youth Justice
National Children’s Bureau
National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations
NCH
Newmartin Youth Trust
NSPCC
Prison Reform Trust
Rainer
Revolving Doors
Save the Children
Secure Accommodation Network
SOVA
The Children’s Society
The Howard League for Penal Reform
The National Youth Agency
Voice

Custody figures are taken from the Youth Justice Board website www.yjb.gov.uk. These figures reveal that the number of under 18s in custody was 2,996 at the end of October 2006. Of these, 213 were girls and 2,783 were boys. 223 under 18s were held in secure children’s homes; 257 in Secure Training Centres, and 2,516 in Young Offenders Institutions.

A letter by the Chief Executive of the YJB, Ellie Roy to YOT managers on 31 October 2006, highlighted the problem of children being placed many miles away from home: http://www.yjb.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/B07678D0-C90B-4089-BF6E-B146EA12AB8A/0/LetterfromEllieRoy.pdf

The contents of this press release, and of Still Waiting for Youth Justice, do not necessarily reflect the views of each of SCYJ’s member organisations.

Zahid Mubarek Inquiry

Andrew Blyth — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 23:00:00 +0000

The National Association for Youth Justice (NAYJ) welcomes the recommendations published in the Zahid Mubarek Inquiry and the Home Secretary's announcement that he accepts a substantial number of them.

"The existence of institutional racism in the prison system is unacceptable" says Geoff Monaghan, chair of NAYJ, "This tragic case again highlights the severe problems in the system, we would agree with the comments made by Zahid's uncle concerning the effects of imprisonment on already damaged and vulnerable young people, particularly those with mental health problems".

NAYJ urges the Home Secretary to move to expedite the implementation of the recommendations to minimize the risk of such a tragedy recurring.

Children's DNA samples should not be kept

Andrew Blyth — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 12:25:55 +0000

The National Association for Youth Justice (NAYJ) shares the concerns expressed by Grant Shapps, MP about the retention of DNA samples taken from children.

"We understand that DNA samples are valuable in assisting the police to identify and prosecute offenders, particularly for offences such as murder and rape" says Geoff Monaghan, chair of the NAYJ.

But we should remember that few children commit serious and violent offences. We are concerned that samples are routinely taken from children and kept even when there is no subsequent caution or charge.

Although 'consent' has to be given, we believe that most children will not understand the implications of such consent or that the samples will be kept for their lifetime.

It is quite wrong that a child's DNA can be kept on record when there has been no wrong doing established."

Prevention, not detention

Andrew Blyth — Fri, 26 Aug 2005 05:55:16 +0000

NAYJ would agree wholeheartedly with the comments made by Rod Morgan (Guardian Society 24.08.05, pg.5) that children in custody in the UK are among the most disadvantaged and damaged.

"It is time we moved away from the perception that this argument is used by 'woolly liberals' to excuse youth crime" says Geoff Monaghan, chair of NAYJ. "It is clearly in everyone's interests to find a better way of dealing with the problems that lead to children's involvement in crime.

While early intervention and prevention is crucial, we would also like to see policies restricting the use of custody for children only to those cases where there is clear evidence that they are a danger to others or themselves.

The current trend for locking up more children, at a younger age and for lesser offences is damaging for children (28 have died in custody in since July 1990); damaging for victims and communities (over 80% will re-offend within two years of release) and custody does nothing to address the causes of youth crime."

NAYJ calls for abolition of ASBOs for children

Andrew Blyth — Thu, 30 Jun 2005 10:44:59 +0000

Today's Home Office announcements of measures to protect witnesses and more funding for Individual Support orders are accompanied by figures showing that over a 1000 ASBOs were made on children in 2004, over twice as many as two years ago.

The National Association for Youth Justice argues that there is, of yet, little evidence to show whether ASBOs are an effective tool to deal with children who are seen to be anti social. NAYJ believes that imposing these orders on young people is an inappropriate way of tackling the complex circumstances and life experiences that underpin their behaviour.
"We remain unconvinced that measures such as ASBOs, and other measures which further alienate and exclude children, are likely to prove effective in changing their behaviour" said Geoff Monaghan, Chair of the National Association for Youth Justice (NAYJ),

"It is very concerning that there were 20,000 school exclusions in the same year and 10,000 of these children were excluded permanently; there would seem to be an increasing reliance on exclusion and punitive control as a means of dealing with troubled and troublesome children.

There is no reliable evidence to show whether ASBOs do change behaviour and it would seem that many of the conditions imposed are too stringent and unrealistic for children to understand or comply with.

The rate of breaches of the orders made on children suggests that they do not achieve the desired result and the impact of breach is of grave concern.

Breaches of ASBOs resulted in 195 children entering custody in the 18 weeks from 3rd May 2004 and, despite guidance one in five Youth Offending Teams report that they are only occasionally, or never, consulted about decisions to apply for an ASBO on a child in their area .

NAYJ would call on Government phase out the use of ASBOs (for children) and seek other ways of dealing with troublesome children that would not result in further alienation and criminalization.

In the meantime the Association would want a legal requirement that applications for ASBOs on a child should be preceded by a Children's Services assessment to look at what other measures might be used and the impact that such an order would have on the child, including a consideration of any child protection implications or where such an order might compromise the child's safety. There is evidence that some Local Authorities, such as Swansea, already take a similar approach with effective results.

Note for editors:

The National Association for Youth Justice is a membership organization which promotes the rights of, and justice for children in trouble with the law.

For further details please contact:

Geoff Monaghan:geoffmonaghan@supanet.com Telephone : 07976 711 974
Ken Hunnybun: nayjken@aol.com

NAYJ welcomes call to curb demonisation of children

Andrew Blyth — Mon, 23 May 2005 17:23:38 +0000

Professor Rod Morgan, Chair of the Youth Justice Board, has challenged politicians and the media to stop calling children 'yobs' and warns of a Britain demonising a generation.(Link).

NAYJ's Chair, Geoff Monaghan said today,
"We welcome Professor Morgan's stance. This is the Youth Justice Board properly carrying out its duty to advise the Government oÃ‚Ân the operation of the youth justice system and demonstrating some independence.
It is all too clear that, together, the rhetoric of the yob and the spotlight on 'anti-social behaviour', not only demonise children, but alienate them as well. But so long as political parties see some electoral gain from painting a negative picture of youth, there will be no respite in the obscene struggle to be the toughest and most punitive of the pack. And it is right for Professor Morgan to connect this to the unacceptably high numbers of children locked up.

The single most effective way to start to bring child detention levels down would be for politicians to give the unequivocal message that unnecessarily locking up children is wrong. It does seem that some kind of cross party dialogue is needed as a catalyst.

It is surely hard to believe that there are more than a few politicians who actually believe that children should be dealt with in this punitive and destructive way and would not welcome some respite from needing to be seen to be so tough on children who are in trouble.

"Just look at the example of children leaving care" said Monaghan.

"From cross party support for the demand to condemn poor services and improve the experiences of care leavers came the Children (Leaving Care) Act of 2000. Politicians emerged with great credit and humanity and none suffered at the ballot box as a result.

A similar approach is needed regarding children and their perceived dangerousness. For example, at the start of the 1990's, there was a common rhetoric that custody for children should be a genuine last resort and a complete end to custodial remands for those under the age of 17 was not only possible practically, but was provided for in the Criminal Justice Act 1991.

It was given the Royal Assent but never implemented, politicians joined a new and competitive spiral of demonisation and, like children's rights and the YJB's budget, the rest is history".

Note: The National Association for Youth Justice is a membership organization for practitioners, managers, policy makers and academics who work with or are concerned with the issues for children in trouble with the law.
For further details please contact:

Chair:Geoff Monaghan - geoffmonaghan@supanet.com Tel: 0114 257 0024 or 07976 711974
Membership:KenHunnybun - NAYJKen@aol.com

Conservatives 5 point plan against 'yobbish behaviour'. Speech by Michael Howard

Andrew Blyth — Fri, 01 Apr 2005 23:00:00 +0000

Clearly, everyone has the right to live in safe and decent communities, but contrary to Mr. Howard's view - that confrontation and fear is the way to deal with 'bad' behaviour by children, all the evidence shows that an approach which engages with young people and re integrates them into their communities, is much more likely to reduce levels of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Those children who are troublesome are almost without exception, those from the poorest and most disadvantaged families and neighbourhoods and who are most excluded from community facilities and activities. They share the same characteristics as children who are known to and receive services from welfare agencies because they are assessed as 'children in need'. They are also those whose experiences of authoritative adults is poor, so to suggest that the way to deter them from anti social behaviour is for the police to 'eyeball' them and 'invade their personal space' would almost inevitably result in a worsening of community relationships.

"Using such pejorative language to describe troublesome young people can only serve to raise people's fears and to further alienate these young people" says Geoff Monaghan, Chair of the National Association for Youth Justice.

"It is also misleading to suggest that there has been a major increase in youth crime, there has been no significant rise in figures in the last five years and the increasingly punitive approach towards those young people who are in trouble with the law is counterproductive", he went on to say.