Editing HM Prison Cookham Wood (section)

==The prison today==
Cookham Wood is a Young Persons establishment, holding males aged 15 to 18. Accommodation at the prison consists of single occupancy cells.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.justice.gov.uk/contacts/prison-finder/cookham-wood|title = Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution| date=18 June 2024 }}</ref>

All young people have access to showers, and 45 minutes outside in the open air every day. The prison operates a resettlement programme for young people coming to the end of their sentences, and has links to community groups and employers.

In February 2014, the UK prison watchdog - the Independent Monitoring Boards - announced that they had serious concerns over the safety and decency for children at HMYOI Cookham Wood. The IMB 2022/23 IMB report highlighted the following concerns:<ref>{{cite web | url=https://imb.org.uk/news/serious-concerns-over-safety-and-decency-for-children-at-hmyoi-cookham-wood/ | title=Serious concerns over safety and decency for children at HMYOI Cookham Wood | date=15 February 2024 }}</ref>

* An inhumane length of time spent locked in cells– up to 22 hours a day.
* Inconsistency and last-minute changes to the boys’ daily timetable due to a lack of available staff – a source of constant frustration for the boys.
* Far too many boys were separated from others, a strategy used to “keep boys safe by keeping them apart”. This, in the IMB’s view, generates fearfulness and an expectation of violence amongst the boys.
* Inadequate officer numbers to meet the boys’ needs.

The prison is scheduled to be repurposed as an adult prison in August/September 2024 and will initially accommodate those jailed arising from the [[2024 United Kingdom riots]].<ref>https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2024-08-06/kent-prison-repurposed-to-house-expected-influx-of-riot-criminals {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref>