The number of children in custody in England and Wales is expected to double by 2024, according to a report by Whitehall’s public spending watchdog, which also highlights that black and minority ethnic children are increasingly over-represented in the youth justice system.
The National Audit Office (NAO) report said in 2021 more than half (53%) of children in custody were from minority ethnic groups, up from less than a third (32%) 10 years earlier, while the proportion of black children increased from 18% to 29% over the same period.
