Boys in England’s three Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) are not getting the education the law requires. Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures show that none provides the legal minimum of 15 hours a week.
The Howard League for Penal Reform obtained the data through a Freedom of Information request. It gives a monthly breakdown of average time in education and out of cell at each YOI in 2025.
The charity said monthly averages at Werrington, Wetherby and Feltham had barely improved since early 2024. That was when it last raised concerns. YOI Parc in south Wales recorded far more of both. The MoJ said it was taking steps to increase time out of cell and improve access to learning.
Feltham lowest for education
At Werrington, weekly education ranged from 7.6 hours in September to 13.4 hours in December. Boys there spent between 3hrs 32mins and 5hrs 1min a day out of their cells on weekdays, on average. At weekends the range fell to between 2hrs 11mins and 3hrs 4mins.
Feltham had the lowest education figures. Its weekly totals ranged from 2.4 hours in November to 7.1 hours in February. Weekday time out of cell averaged between 3hrs 7mins and 4hrs 21mins a day. At weekends it averaged between 2hrs 54mins and 3hrs 43mins.
At Wetherby, boys received between 6.4 hours of education a week, in January, and 10.7 hours, in December. On weekdays they spent an average of between 4hrs 3mins and 5hrs 40mins a day out of their cells. Weekend figures ranged from 2hrs 19mins to 4hrs 16mins.
Parc stood apart. Weekly education there ranged from 14.5 hours in September to 20.3 hours in February. In 11 of the 12 months, it beat the legal minimum. Weekday time out of cell at Parc averaged between 6hrs 47mins and 8hrs 49mins a day. At weekends it ranged from 5hrs 10mins to 7hrs 30mins.
‘Failed again and again’
“Children in custody are being failed again and again by a toxic criminal justice system,” said Andrea Coomber, the Howard League’s chief executive.
She noted that the government had announced “the most significant overhaul of youth justice in a generation”. However, it had not committed to closing the prisons that hold children, she said.
An MoJ spokesperson said custody should be a last resort for children. The spokesperson said it should apply only to children who have committed serious offences or who endanger the public. “We’ve put specialist plans in place at Wetherby and Werrington to boost time out of cell and access to learning,” the spokesperson added.
The department said it was also investing more than £15 million to tackle the causes of offending by young people and steer more of them away from crime.
