Prisons and Probation Minister visited the school in
Rochester, Kent, yesterday (16 May 2024) to see how this new
approach to youth justice will turn young offenders into
law-abiding adults when it opens in the coming weeks.
Thanks to sustained efforts by this government to tackle crime by
children, there has been an 82% drop in the number of young
offenders in youth custody since 2010.
But the few hundred children left have complex needs, such as
serious mental health problems and poor education, and have often
committed serious offences.
Oasis Restore Secure School will put education and healthcare at
the heart of steering young offenders away from gangs and knife
crime.
The design is based on international research which shows that
smaller settings, high-quality education and healthcare, plus a
specialised workforce of teachers and youth workers are the key
to successfully turning the lives of young people in custody
around.
This new approach was recommended by the now Chief Inspector of
Prisons, Charlie Taylor, who conducted a wholesale review of
youth justice while chair of the Youth Justice Board.
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, , said:
This multi-million-pound investment marks a major step change in
our approach to youth detention.
By prioritising intensive education, this Secure School will put
the rehabilitation of young offenders front and centre, helping
to break the cycle of crime.
The Secure School will be home to up to 49 children at any one
time – both boys and girls - and every young offender will be
enrolled in formal education or training and encouraged into
further study or secure employment on release.
Staff will be trained to offer one-to-one learning support and
they will set challenging targets in core academic subjects such
as English and Maths. Ofsted inspectors will hold the
establishment to the same standards as all other schools and
secure children's homes nationwide, ensuring the highest possible
standards.
Young offenders will also be trained in workshops designed to
give them the qualifications necessary to go straight into
employment or further study on release, including barbering,
design technology and catering.
Placement decisions will be made internally by the Youth Custody
Service in the usual way, subjected to thorough risk assessments
and with safety at the forefront of the process.
Young people will be supervised by highly trained staff and the
secure site has the same rigorous security procedures as other
custodial settings for children.
The Rev Steve Chalke MBE, Founder of Oasis, said:
Oasis Restore represents a revolution in youth justice – a
revolution that's built on both science and experience.
The core principle behind the Secure School and the work of our
staff team is an unshakeable commitment to the belief that the
only way to create positive change for the young people we serve,
as well as to make our streets and communities safer, is to
ensure that restoration sits at the very heart of the youth
custodial system. That is our privilege and our task.
The school's core focus on getting troubled young people into
jobs or further education is part of the government's ambitious
plan to drive down reoffending.
Notes to editors
- Secure schools will be inspected by Ofsted, supported by the
Care Quality Commission, covering education, care and health.
- The rooms in the school are fitted with the latest secure
in-room technology which will allow children to continue homework
and projects in their rooms and contact their families to
maintain crucial ties that are proven to cut reoffending.
- Over the last decade (2010 to 2024) we have seen an 82%
percent fall in children (under 18s only) in custody. The average
youth custody population has fallen in each of the last five
years, and in the year ending March 2024 it decreased by 2.5%
compared to the previous year. This was 65% lower than the year
ending March 2014. However, reoffending rates are not where they
should be. Of the children released from custody in the year
ending March 2021, 59.8% reoffended, with the overall proven
reoffending rate increasing to 32.2%.
- Find out more about Oasis
Restore on their website.
