The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales responded to HM Inspectorate of Prisons' analysis of survey responses from 12–18-year-olds about their experiences in custody, published on 22 September 2026. In a statement issued on 25 September 2026, YJB chief executive Steph Roberts-Bibby said every child in custody should be safe, supported to learn and given the opportunity to build a positive future, but that the persistent challenges highlighted show the system remains too far from consistently achieving that, despite significant investment and historically low numbers of children in custody.

Roberts-Bibby said the Child First approach has provided a unifying framework for police, youth justice services and the judiciary across the wider youth justice system, but that youth custody has yet to benefit from the same consistently applied, evidence-based model. She cited the London Accommodation Pathfinder's latest independent evaluation as promising early evidence for community-based alternatives and welcomed the government's investment in such alternatives.

The YJB said the evidence shows the current secure estate is not fit for purpose, describing poor outcomes as systemic rather than isolated operational failures, and pointing to large prison-like institutions, staffing pressures and restricted regimes. It called for a clear, time-bound transition towards smaller, child-centred provision with a specialist and stable workforce and an evidence-based theory of change.