- Labour's Minister for youth justice, Jake Richards, visited youth facilities in Spain to draw inspiration for modernising the UK's youth prison system.
- The Spanish centres, run by Fundación Diagrama, employ educators instead of prison guards and offer extensive activities including schooling, sports, and vocational training.
- The Spanish model demonstrates a significantly lower reoffending rate of 16 per cent, contrasting sharply with 61.7 per cent in England and Wales.
- Mr Richards praised the Spanish approach, saying it prioritises rehabilitation and represents a “fundamentally different way of thinking about youth justice“ that is “smart on crime”.
- Labour plans to outline further reforms, focusing on early intervention and ensuring custody is a last resort, to address the complex needs of young offenders in England's current youth institutions.
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