Every unnecessary remand to custody delivers consistently poor outcomes for the child remanded and costs the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds per year for the placement. This is a tragedy for the child, the taxpayer and society.A modern youth justice system: Foundations fit for the future, The Ministry of Justice
The number of children imprisoned in England and Wales has reduced considerably, but remand to youth detention accomodation (YDA) – or custodial remand – is still being used too often, particularly for Black and Mixed Heritage children. Data shows that most remands are short remands, over a quarter are for non-violent offences and Black and Mixed Heritage children are disproportionately remanded. Two thirds of children who are remanded to custody do not go on to receive a custodial sentence.
This data briefing summarises key statistics relating to the use of bail and remand for children in England and Wales. It combines an analysis of data taken from public statistics, Freedom of Information Act requests submitted by Transform Justice, and a survey of 96 youth justice service practitioners and youth court lawyers conducted in October and November 2025.
