Traumatised children in a young offender institution are talking to psychologists through the hatch in their cell doors as there are not enough prison officers to unlock them for therapy sessions, the Guardian has learned.
“Our ability to have children unlocked for sessions has decreased massively,” said Dr Radha Kothari, the principal clinical psychologist at Feltham young offender institution in west London, which holds boys aged 15 to 18 who have committed the most serious crimes, including rape and murder.
