When young people are appearing at Court, their case sometimes has to be postponed to a later date. They are usually Bailed to return on that date, but if the Court is concerned about how they’ll behave then there are other options.

Young people can also be Remanded to Local Authority Accommodation. This means that they become “Looked After” by social workers, who must make arrangements for them to live in a safe place until the next court date. It doesn’t always mean they’ll have to leave their family, because the social workers and the YJS will always try to support them at home first.

If the Court thinks that the young person is a danger to themselves or to other people, or that they’re going to commit more crimes, then they can order the young person to be Remanded to either to a Young Offender’s Institute (YOI) or to a Local Authority Secure Children’s Home (LASCH). This means being locked-up, a long way from home in a strange environment, and it is the last resort for any young person.

Before any young person is Remanded, they will always have been interviewed and assessed by a YJS Officer, who will usually talk to their family too. The YJS tries to avoid young people being locked up, but sometimes it’s necessary and in those cases we work hard to support the young person.

YJS staff will talk to the secure establishment about the young person’s welfare and needs, and make sure that their families are helped to stay in touch. They will sometimes help the young person’s solicitor to appeal the Remand (asking a more senior judge to overturn it). Each of the YJS’s East and West Area Teams have a Bail & Remand Management Officer, who has special responsibility for this work.