UK Justice Secretary David Lammy announced his plans to ensure a 25 per cent reduction in the number of children kept in custody prior to their trials before the end of this parliamentary period. The ministry of justice also plans consultations on lifelong criminal records for under 18s, new youth intervention courts and stricter parental accountability measures for children involved in crime.For Lammy, the reforms were associated with his personal experience as he grew up in Tottenham during the 1980s. Prison was always a looming threat for him as a child because there were many Black boys like himself who found themselves in the criminal justice system due to being absent from schools and committing petty crimes.
He said, “Growing up in Tottenham in the 1980s, my biggest fear was ending up in prison. That may sound irrational, but in truth it was the fate of so many young Black boys like me", as quoted by the Guardian.
