Children across England and Wales are being exposed to extreme violence while unnecessarily held in custody awaiting trial or sentencing, according to a major watchdog report.
A new investigation by HM Inspectorate of Prisons found that nearly 100 children each year are remanded into custody only to be released on bail or moved into local authority accommodation within less than two weeks.
Inspectors warned that many children were placed in dangerous environments despite professionals believing they could have been safely managed within the community.
One child told inspectors he watched another child being stabbed from his window and “found that scary”.
The report revealed that many young people held on remand were in custody for the first time, often receiving little explanation about why they were detained.
Several children described feeling frightened, confused and intimidated inside young offender institutions.
The findings come as the UK government prepares major reforms to the youth justice system, including plans to reduce the use of custodial remand for children by 25% before the end of the current parliament.
David Lammy recently said the reforms aim to “tackle the drivers of offending so fewer young people become trapped in cycles of crime”.
Andrea Coomber warned the prison system was causing serious harm to vulnerable children.
“Prison is a toxic place for children, and spending even a few days in that environment can be terrifying and profoundly damaging,” she said.
“The majority of children placed on remand and bailed within seven days or fewer are placed in a young offender institution, where they experience long periods locked behind their doors with very little to do.”
Inspectors found that between August 2024 and July 2025, 190 children were remanded into custody before later being granted bail.
Of those cases, 91 children spent two weeks or less in custody, while 65 were detained for seven days or fewer.
The report said many children lost access to education and support services because of these short custodial periods.
More than half of those detained for under a week were placed in young offender institutions, where violence levels remain higher than in adult prisons.
Many of the children involved were described as highly vulnerable, with complex needs including trauma, neurodivergent conditions and previous experience in local authority care.
One child recalled the frightening atmosphere inside custody.
“I was scared, there was a lot of shouting and noise,” the child told inspectors.
Youth justice services were also criticised for communication failures, with many organisations reportedly not informed quickly enough when children were remanded.
The watchdog found some local services lacked the experience and resources needed to provide credible alternatives to custody.
Charlie Taylor said many short-term remands could have been avoided.
“While custodial remand is an essential part of any justice system, two out of every five children in custody are now on remand,” Taylor said.
“Well over a half of these children do not go on to receive a custodial sentence.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said the government plans to invest £5 million in community alternatives to ensure children are only held in custody when absolutely necessary for public protection.