International Youth Day: A Call to Prayer for Scotland’s Young Offenders
The 12th of August is probably not a date you have in your calendar as an internationally marked significant date. Certainly, none of my calendars with the stock set of dates to be remembered throughout the year have included International Youth Day. The purpose of this little-known day created by the United Nations in 2000 is to draw the attention of governments to the social, legal, and cultural issues facing young people. My name is Matthew, and I work for Youth for Christ as the Glasgow Urban Mission Pioneer. That means my role is particularly focused on mobilizing the church to reach un-churched young people in areas of significant depravity in the City of Glasgow. It is these young people who are most at risk of ending up in young offenders institutions. I want to take the opportunity in this blog to highlight the current state of the young offenders system in Scotland, celebrate successful changes, mourn disastrous losses, and turn to Jesus on how we should respond to each of these things.
I am sure you are aware the current state of prisons in Scotland and across the UK is a major concern. Overcrowding and staffing shortages are making for unsafe environments for people in prison and those involved in the prison service. Yet, as I researched the latest figures and updates of Scotland's young offenders system, I found a rare ray of light. First of all, according to the latest statistics from the Scottish Government website, the number of under 21s in Scottish prisons and young offenders institutes has fallen from an average of 1,012 in 2009-10 to just 159 in 2022-23. And, of these under 21’s only 9 are under the age of 18. Interestingly, the reduction in under-18s in custody in the last year is only in the untried population (halving from 10 to 5 from 2021-22 to 2022-23).
The reason for this reduction seems to be down to the government's discouragement of putting young people in prison. More recently in 2022, the Scottish government announced the aim that under-18s will no longer be sent to young offenders institutes but will be placed in secure care-based accommodation. On the 22nd of July this year the Scottish Government confirmed that by the 2nd of September, no more under-18s will be held at young offenders institutes. Instead, they will be moved into care provision programs.
While we celebrate these changes and advances in care for these at-risk and vulnerable young people, there have also been numerous recent tragedies. In 2018 William Brown, 16, and Katie Allen, 21, took their own lives in HMYOI Polmont. William had not been convicted of any crime and wasn’t even supposed to be in the institute but there was no space in a secure children’s unit. On the 3rd of September 2021, Jack MacKenzie, a young man on remand also took his own life in HMYOI Polmont. Most recently, on the 13th of July 2024, 17-year-old Jonathan Beadle took his own life in HMYOI Polmont. The death of Jonathan Beadle is what triggered the 2nd of September deadline. The intent to move Jonathan from the institute was there from 2022 but has not been acted upon.
How do we then as Christians respond to this? Where does the Bible speak into the young offender system and how do we celebrate its progression towards care over imprisonment while calling for justice over the tragic losses and mental health crises in our young offender's institutes? Last month, I was serving at a summer youth festival called Magnitude. In the mornings, as a team, we were led in a devotional time. One morning we were led to the passage in Matthew 19:13-15
“Then children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.” Matthew 19:13-15 NRSVUE
I was struck at the time because, for some reason, I had never thought of these words of Jesus about youth before, but it is true. The kingdom of heaven belongs to the 1500 young people in the big top that day and as I write this blog, I found myself drawn to the same passages, thinking the same things as these young people currently in our YOIs. Jesus commands us to let these young people come to him and specifically says do not stop them! He then lays his hands upon them. This can be a picture of our response. We must be doing all we can to bring these young people to Jesus and specifically letting nothing get in their way.
I want to challenge you to pray for the young people in the YOIs and those in our communities on the edge of our justice system in two ways.
Praying against the things that may be harmful, challenging, or getting in the way of them coming to Jesus. This can look like family situations, community surroundings, financial struggles, gang culture, loneliness, and mental health. Pray for the health, safety, and protection of young people and specifically for those in young offenders institutes. Also, pray that Jesus would put people in their lives who can lead them to God.
There are 7 under-18s in YOI’s in Scotland today, all of which are to be moved to a form of care-based secure accommodation by the week beginning 2nd September. In this next week pray for one per day, especially for their safety and mental wellbeing.
Happy International Youth Day!