HMICFRS (User Voice) · 2023
This report presents the voices of 13 young people aged 18–24 who were in prison, young offender institutions, or on probation, exploring their experiences of serious youth violence, policing, safeguarding, and support services. The young people described widespread distrust of the police, rooted in experiences of manipulation, wrongful criminalisation, and being placed in danger. They felt that interventions and courses were tick-box exercises designed by people with no understanding of their lives, and called instead for care over criminalisation, lived-experience-led support, and removal of barriers to employment and rehabilitation. Nine of the 13 had been in care, and most described the care system as having failed them entirely.