Young UK offenders 'need more support on release'

Young offenders leaving custody are not receiving enough support to fit back into society, a report has found.

Children and young people leaving secure units are unprepared for life in the outside world and often struggle to reintegrate into their communities, according to the report from Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills).

The education watchdog criticised the "weak relationships" between young offenders' institutions and local authorities, saying young people are often left feeling "unsettled" and "unwanted" by the lack of a clear plan for their release.