Life in a Young Offender Institution: Understanding the Reality
- Written By The Kulturalism Team
- Oct 31, 2025
- 14 min read
Updated: Nov 27, 2025
The iron door closes. The sound echoes through the corridor.
For many young people arriving at a Young Offender Institution for the first time, this moment marks the beginning of a journey they never imagined they would take.
The reality of custody is confronting, challenging, and for many, genuinely frightening.
Yet within this difficult experience lies something crucial, the possibility of change.
→ Read Part 2: How Families Can Support Young People in Custody
This article provides an honest, comprehensive look at what life is really like inside a Young Offender Institution in the UK. It does not glamorise, nor does it unnecessarily dramatise. Instead, it offers families, young people, and communities the truth about custody, the challenges it presents, and critically, the support systems and opportunities that exist to help young people not just survive their sentence, but use it as a turning point toward a better future.
What Is a Young Offender Institution?
Young Offender Institutions are secure custodial facilities designed specifically for young people aged 15 to 21 who have been convicted of criminal offences and received custodial sentences. They are distinct from adult prisons in their approach, structure, and purpose, though they remain secure environments with restrictions on liberty.
Currently, England operates several Young Offender Institutions including HM YOI Wetherby (Yorkshire), HM YOI Cookham Wood (Kent), HM YOI Werrington (Staffordshire), and HM YOI Feltham (west London), among others. Each institution has capacity for between 60 and 400 young people, with different age groups typically housed in separate wings.
Unlike adult prisons where the primary focus is containment and punishment, Young Offender Institutions are required by law to emphasise rehabilitation, education, and personal development alongside security. The Young Offender Institution Rules 2000 mandate provision for education, vocational training, physical education, and activities designed to foster personal responsibility and prepare young people for successful reintegration into society.
The reality, however, is more complex than legislation suggests. Recent inspections and reports have highlighted significant challenges within the YOI system, including reduced educational opportunities, staff shortages, increased use of isolation, and concerning levels of violence. Understanding both the intended purpose and the actual conditions is essential for anyone connected to a young person facing custody.
Arrival: The First Hours and Days
→ Reception and Initial Processing
When a young person first arrives at a Young Offender Institution, they enter through the reception area. This is typically a secure processing zone where all new arrivals are searched, their property catalogued, and their identity verified. Every young person is searched for prohibited items including drugs, weapons, mobile phones, and tobacco. This search is conducted by staff of the same sex and must be done as quickly and decently as possible while maintaining security.
Personal belongings that are not permitted in custody are stored or sent home. The young person receives prison-issue clothing and basic toiletries. They are photographed and their biometric data recorded. This process, while necessary for security, can be deeply dehumanising for young people experiencing it for the first time.
→ Health and Mental Health Screening
Upon arrival, every young person undergoes health screening provided by NHS staff. This includes assessment of physical health, mental health, substance misuse issues, and any immediate medical needs. Given that approximately 70% of children in the youth justice system have diagnosable mental health conditions, this screening is vital.
The health team looks for signs of self-harm risk, suicidal ideation, drug or alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and any physical injuries or conditions requiring treatment. Young people are asked about their emotional state, previous trauma, and any current mental health diagnoses or medication.
This initial screening determines what level of observation and support the young person requires. Those identified as at risk are placed on heightened monitoring, often referred to as Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) procedures, which involve regular check-ins, enhanced supervision, and individualised safety plans.
→ Induction Programme
Following reception, young people enter an induction period lasting several days. During this time, they receive essential information about the rules, routines, and expectations of the institution. They learn about fire safety procedures, how to access healthcare, how to make phone calls and receive visits, their rights and responsibilities, and the daily schedule they will follow.
Each young person is assigned a personal officer or caseworker who will support them throughout their sentence. This person becomes a key point of contact, helping the young person navigate custody, access services, and work toward their sentence plan goals. The quality of this relationship significantly impacts outcomes, with strong caseworker-young person relationships associated with better engagement and reduced reoffending.
Young people are also assessed for educational needs, vocational interests, risk factors, and personal goals during induction. These assessments inform the creation of an individualised sentence plan designed to address offending behaviour, develop skills, and prepare for release.
The Physical Environment
→ Accommodation
Young people in YOIs are typically held in single-occupancy cells, though occasionally double occupancy occurs due to capacity pressures. Cells are small, secure rooms containing a bed, desk, chair, toilet, and sink. Some institutions have slightly larger rooms with additional storage or in-cell sanitation that offers more privacy.
The cells are locked during certain times of day, particularly overnight and during staff changes. Young people may spend 12-15 hours or more locked in their cells daily, depending on the regime and staffing levels. In some cases, particularly where isolation is used for behaviour management, young people have reported being locked up for up to 21 hours per day with as little as 30 minutes outside their cell. This extended isolation is deeply concerning from both wellbeing and rehabilitation perspectives.
The physical condition of accommodation varies between institutions. Some have newer, purpose-built facilities with better ventilation, lighting, and maintenance. Others occupy older buildings with structural issues, inadequate heating or cooling, and outdated infrastructure. These environmental factors significantly impact young people's daily experience and psychological wellbeing.
→ Security and Safety
YOIs are secure environments with physical barriers, surveillance, and controlled movement. Perimeter fencing, locked doors, and security checkpoints prevent unauthorised exit. Staff conduct regular searches of cells, common areas, and young people themselves to maintain security and prevent contraband entering the facility.
Safety within YOIs remains a persistent challenge. Violence between young people, including assaults and fights, occurs with concerning regularity. Many young people arrive with existing gang affiliations, rivalries, or debts from county lines involvement. These tensions do not disappear at the gate, and can escalate within the confined environment of custody.
Institutions manage these risks through various strategies including separating rival gang members (known as "keep-aparts"), enhanced supervision in vulnerable areas, use of CCTV monitoring, and in serious cases, segregation of individuals posing particular risks. However, these management strategies themselves create challenges, particularly when they limit young people's access to education and activities.
→ Common Areas
Beyond individual cells, YOIs have common areas including association spaces where young people can socialise during free time, dining halls for meals, education blocks with classrooms and workshops, gyms and sports facilities, healthcare centres with medical and mental health services, and visiting halls where families can visit.
Access to these spaces varies depending on the individual institution's regime, staffing levels, and the young person's behaviour and risk classification.
Young people who engage positively with their sentence plan typically have greater access to facilities and activities than those who repeatedly breach rules or present significant management challenges.
Daily Routine and Structure
A Typical Day
While specific schedules vary between institutions, a typical day in a YOI follows a structured pattern:
7:00-8:00am: Wake-up and breakfast, typically eaten in cells
8:30-11:45am: Education, vocational training, or work activities
12:00-1:00pm: Lunch, usually in cells or dining hall
1:30-4:30pm: Afternoon education, work, or structured activities
5:00-6:00pm: Evening meal
6:00-8:30pm: Association time (socialising, phone calls, activities) or locked in cells depending on regime
9:00pm onwards: Lock-up for the night
This structure aims to provide routine and purpose, mirroring the structure of school or employment in the community. However, the reality often falls short of this ideal. Staff shortages, security incidents, or management of conflicts can result in activities being cancelled and young people spending extended periods locked in their cells.
→ Modifications to Routine
The core routine is modified based on several factors including the young person's age (under 18s have different requirements than 18-21 year olds), status (remand vs. sentenced), security classification and risk level, and individual sentence plan requirements.
Young people on remand (awaiting trial) have more limited access to some activities compared to sentenced young people, which has raised concerns about social isolation and lack of purposeful engagement during what should be a presumption of innocence period. |
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Education and Training
→ Legal Requirements
Education is compulsory for all young people under 18 in custody. The Young Offender Institution Rules 2000 specify that institutions must provide educational opportunities designed to improve behaviour, develop practical skills for post-release life, and prepare young people for employment.
Historically, YOIs aimed to deliver a minimum of 15 hours of education per week, with more recent targets suggesting 25 hours. However, recent joint inspections by Ofsted and HM Inspectorate of Prisons have revealed that educational provision has declined significantly over the past decade, with many young people receiving far fewer hours than mandated.
→ Educational Provision
Education in YOIs is provided by education providers contracted by local authorities or the Youth Justice Board. Providers such as Novus and other educational organisations deliver teaching across core subjects and vocational areas.
Core Education includes basic skills development in literacy, numeracy, and ICT. Many young people in custody arrive with very low educational attainment, often functioning several years below their chronological age level due to disrupted schooling, learning disabilities, or lack of previous engagement. Functional Skills qualifications in English and maths at Entry Level, Level 1, or Level 2 provide recognised credentials. GCSEs are also offered for young people capable of working at that level, allowing them to achieve qualifications they may have missed in mainstream education.
Vocational Training offers practical skills in areas such as construction skills (bricklaying, painting, decorating), catering and hospitality, engineering and metalwork, hairdressing, horticulture and gardening, and motor vehicle maintenance.
These courses aim to provide employable skills and recognised qualifications such as City & Guilds or BTEC certificates that can help young people secure employment upon release.
Arts and Enrichment programmes including music, drama, creative writing, and visual arts provide outlets for self-expression, emotional processing, and development of confidence. Arts programmes have shown particular effectiveness in engaging young people who struggle with traditional academic learning.
Challenges in Educational Delivery
Despite the legal requirements and theoretical provision, educational delivery in YOIs faces severe challenges. Recent inspection reports paint a concerning picture of declining quality and quantity of education over the past decade.
Key issues include:
Staff shortages: Insufficient numbers of education staff and prison officers mean classes are frequently cancelled and young people cannot access education even when it is timetabled.
Behavioural management difficulties: Many young people in YOIs present complex and challenging behaviours. Education staff and prison staff sometimes lack the training, resources, or strategies to manage these behaviours effectively, leading to disruption and young people being removed from education.
Overuse of "keep-aparts": To manage conflicts and safety risks, staff often separate rival young people by allocating them to different activities based on who they can and cannot mix with, rather than on their educational needs or aspirations. This means young people cannot access courses suited to their interests or abilities because of operational management decisions.
Extended cell time: When young people spend long periods locked in cells due to staff shortages or behaviour management, they miss education entirely. Some young people have been locked up for up to 21 hours daily, accessing as little as half an hour of education per week rather than the 15-25 hours intended.
Poor quality resources: Outdated equipment, limited materials, and inadequate facilities undermine the quality of education even when classes do run.
These systemic failings mean that custody often fails to provide the educational opportunities that could genuinely turn young lives around. For families and young people, understanding these challenges is important. It explains why outcomes may not match expectations and highlights the need for continued advocacy for educational rights.
Work and Purposeful Activity
→ Work Opportunities
Young people who have been sentenced (not on remand) are required to engage in work as part of their sentence. Work opportunities in YOIs vary but typically include wing cleaning and maintenance, kitchen duties, laundry services, grounds maintenance and gardening, workshop production (making items for use within the prison service), and orderly roles supporting staff with daily operations.
Work provides structure, develops a work ethic, and in some cases offers small wages that young people can use to buy additional items from the prison shop or save for release. Wages are typically very modest, often just a few pounds per week, but provide young people with some autonomy and responsibility.
→ Purposeful Activity Hours
Beyond formal education and work, YOIs should provide "purposeful activity" including physical education (sports, gym, swimming where facilities exist), recreational activities and hobbies, library access, youth work and mentoring programmes, and rehabilitative programmes addressing offending behaviour.
Physical education is legally mandated, with rules requiring provision for physical education within the normal working week plus evening and weekend recreation. Physical activity provides essential outlets for energy, stress relief, and social interaction. It also promotes physical health in a population often affected by poor nutrition, substance misuse, and sedentary lifestyles in the community.
However, access to purposeful activities has declined alongside education, with young people spending increasing amounts of time locked in cells with little meaningful occupation. This lack of purposeful activity is not only wasted opportunity but actively harmful, contributing to boredom, frustration, conflict, and deteriorating mental health. |
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Healthcare and Mental Health Support
→ Physical Healthcare
Healthcare in YOIs is provided by the NHS through local health boards. Young people have access to GP services, nursing care, dentists, opticians, and specialist services as needed. All healthcare provided in custody should be equivalent to that available in the community, though the reality sometimes falls short.
Young people can request to see a doctor or nurse, and regular health checks ensure ongoing conditions are monitored. Those with chronic conditions receive management and medication. Emergency medical needs are addressed immediately, with transfers to hospital if necessary.
→ Mental Health Services
Given the extremely high prevalence of mental health needs among young people in custody, mental health services are critical. Recent surveys found that one in seven prisoners across the prison system is receiving mental health support, rising to more than one in four for women. Among young offenders specifically, approximately 70% have diagnosable mental health conditions.
Mental health services in YOIs typically include initial screening and assessment upon arrival, access to mental health nurses and mental health practitioners, psychiatrist consultations for those requiring specialist assessment or medication, talking therapies including counselling and CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), crisis intervention for young people experiencing acute mental health crises, and support for young people with neurodevelopmental conditions including autism and ADHD.
The most commonly offered intervention nationally is some form of talking therapy. However, the quality and availability of mental health support vary significantly between institutions. Some YOIs have dedicated mental health teams providing comprehensive, trauma-informed care. Others struggle with inadequate staffing and limited services.
→ Trauma-Informed Care
Increasingly, YOIs are adopting trauma-informed approaches that recognise most young people in custody have experienced significant adverse childhood experiences including abuse, neglect, domestic violence, parental substance misuse, loss and bereavement, and community violence.
Trauma-informed practice involves understanding how trauma affects behaviour and emotional regulation, creating environments that feel safe and avoid re-traumatisation, building trusting relationships between staff and young people, offering choice and collaboration rather than just control, and providing therapeutic interventions that help young people process trauma and develop healthy coping mechanisms.
Where trauma-informed approaches are genuinely embedded, outcomes improve significantly. Young people feel understood rather than simply managed, engage more positively with support services, and develop skills to regulate emotions and behaviour. However, implementation remains inconsistent across the YOI estate.
Substance Misuse SupportMany young people in YOIs have histories of substance misuse, including alcohol, cannabis, and in cases involving county lines, exposure to or use of Class A drugs. Substance misuse services provide support for withdrawal and detoxification, education about substance use and its impacts, therapeutic interventions addressing underlying issues driving substance use, and relapse prevention planning for after release. Addressing substance misuse is crucial both for health and for reducing reoffending, as drug dependency often drives criminal behaviour. |
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Behaviour Management and Discipline
→ Rewards and Incentives
YOIs typically operate on incentive schemes where young people progress through levels (often Bronze, Silver, Gold or similar) based on their behaviour and engagement. Higher levels bring additional privileges such as more time out of cell, additional visits, access to better activities, ability to wear own clothes (within limits), and enhanced wages for work.
These incentive systems aim to motivate positive behaviour and engagement with sentence plans. When implemented effectively with clear, fair criteria and consistent application, they can encourage young people to take responsibility and work toward goals.
→ Rules and Sanctions
When young people breach rules, disciplinary processes apply. Minor infractions might result in warnings or loss of privileges. More serious rule breaches can lead to formal adjudications before the governor, resulting in sanctions including additional days added to sentence, removal from activities (excluding education, which should be protected), extra work duties, or loss of earnings.
The use of these sanctions should be proportionate, fair, and used as a last resort after attempts to address behaviour through support and de-escalation. However, concerns have been raised about inconsistent application of rules and disproportionate use of sanctions against certain groups of young people.
→ Use of Force and Restraint
Staff can use force or restraint on young people only when necessary and proportionate. This might occur to prevent violence, self-harm, or property damage, to prevent escape, or to ensure compliance with lawful instructions when other methods have failed.
All use of force must be recorded, explained, and justified. Staff receive training in approved restraint techniques designed to minimise injury and distress. However, restraint can be traumatic, particularly for young people who have experienced previous physical or sexual abuse.
A 2019 Joint Committee on Human Rights report found rates of restraint of children in custody to be unacceptably high and concluded that restraint harms children, harms staff, undermines detention objectives, and contributes to a cycle of problems. The report stated that children's rights are being routinely breached through excessive use of restraint.
Segregation and IsolationWhen a young person poses significant risks to themselves or others, or when conflicts cannot be managed through other means, they may be placed in segregation (sometimes called "the block" or "seg"). This means removal to a separate unit where they are held in isolation from other young people. Segregation should be used only as a last resort and for the shortest time necessary. Rules require that segregated young people still have access to education, healthcare, exercise, and showers, though the reality often means very limited time out of cell and minimal meaningful activity. Research and inspection findings show concerning overuse of segregation in YOIs, with 306 cases of segregation lasting over a week recorded during one six-month period across all YOIs. Extended isolation has serious psychological impacts, particularly for vulnerable young people already struggling with trauma and mental health issues. Critics argue that segregation is often used as a behaviour management strategy rather than as a genuine last resort, reflecting systemic failures in behaviour management training and relationship-building capacity rather than young people's inherent unmanageability. |
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In Part 2, we explore how families can maintain vital connections through visits and contact, the rehabilitation programmes available, preparing for release, and most importantly - the real hope and support that exists for young people and families navigating custody.
→ Read Part 2: How Families Can Support Young People in Custody
Kulturalism Justice Learning Hub
Youth Justice Resources and References
Below is a selection of key reports, research, and guidance relevant to youth custody, education, and reform in England and Wales.
Inspection Reports
Ofsted & HM Inspectorate of Prisons (2024) – A Decade of Declining Quality of Education in Young Offender Institutions
HM Inspectorate of Prisons – Individual YOI inspection reports
Youth Justice Research
Youth Justice Board (YJB) – Resources, reports, and toolkits
Centre for Mental Health (2023) – Prison Mental Health Services in England
Legal Framework
Government Reports and Guidance
Ministry of Justice (2014) – Young Criminals Must Be Punished, But Education is the Cure Read article
Academic Research
Jacob, J., D’Souza, S., & Lane, R. (2023).“I’m not just some criminal, I’m actually a person to them now” — The importance of child-staff therapeutic relationships in the children and young people secure estate (CYPSE). International Journal of Forensic Mental Health.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14999013.2023.2167893
Bryson, S.A., Chung, E., et al. (2017).What are effective strategies for implementing trauma-informed care in youth inpatient psychiatric and residential treatment settings? A realist systematic review. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 11:36.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-017-0137-3
Martin, A., et al. (2022).Practitioners’ experiences of trauma-informed formulation within a Youth Offending Service: A pilot evaluation of Enhanced Case Management. Available via ResearchGate:https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Aisling-Martin/publication/359297672_A-pilot-evaluation-of-Enhanced-Case-Management-within-a-Youth-Offending-Service_Practitioners-experiences-of-trauma-informed-formulation.pdf
Statistics and Data
Ministry of Justice – Youth Justice Statistics (published annually)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) – Crime and Justice Data
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