Team Blitz India
Government efforts to tackle crime by children has resulted in a 82% drop in the number of young offenders in custody since 2010, according to the Ministry of Justice.
But the few hundred children left have complex issues, such as serious mental health problems and poor education, and have often committed serious offences, said a recent statement from the Ministry. Oasis Restore Secure School will put education and healthcare at the heart of steering young offenders away from gangs and knife crime.
Prisons and Probation Minister Edward Argar visited the school in Rochester, Kent, on May 16 to see how this new approach to youth justice will turn young offenders into law-abiding adults when it opens in the coming weeks.
Specialised workforce
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, said the statement.
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. 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-toone learning support and they will set challenging targets in core academic subjects such as English and Maths. Office For Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (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, shared the statement.
