Justice committee demands answers after 17-year-old boy dies in Polmont

The convener of parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee has asked community safety minister Siobhian Brown to explain how a 17-year-old boy came to take his own life in Polmont three months after legislation that was supposed to prevent under-18s being sent to the Young Offenders’ Institution (YOI) was passed.

The Herald newspaper reported that Jonathan Beadle, who pleaded guilty to a charge of acting in a disorderly manner and being in possession of weapons with intent to assault and murder a 16-year-old girl, killed himself at the institution at the weekend.

He is thought to be the tenth young person to take their own life in Polmont since 2012, with the death coming three months after the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act was passed at Holyrood.

The legislation, which was scrutinised by the Criminal Justice Committee, stipulates that all under-18s accused or convicted of serious offences should be sent to secure units rather than Polmont.

Beadle was originally held in a secure unit before being transferred to the YOI and, in her letter to Brown, committee convener Audrey Nicoll asked for a clear explanation of how the decision to move him was arrived at.

“As you know, the committee has been concerned with deaths in custody for some time now, especially those relating to young people,” she wrote.

“That is why we commented on the proposal to prevent anyone under the age of 18 years of age from being transferred to Polmont in our Stage 1 report on the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill.

“I understand that this bill has now received royal assent but those particular sections have not yet been implemented.

“I recognise that the death of Mr Beadle will be the subject of an FAI [fatal accident inquiry] in due course. In the meantime, I would be grateful for details of the timeline in this case and the circumstances that led to the decision to move Mr Beadle from secure care to HMP&YOI Polmont.

“I would also be grateful for an update on the timescales for the implementation of sections 16 to 18 of the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act and the reasons why these remain to be enacted.”

When it issued its report on the bill last year the committee said that the government would have to ensure it made sufficient resources available to house minors in secure units rather than YOIs before pressing ahead with “fundamental changes” to the youth justice system.

The purpose of the legislative change, which was first unveiled in December 2022, was to use “care-based alternatives” rather than YOIs for anyone aged 18 or under.

 When issuing that report Nicoll said that there was clear support for the change as secure care units “both protect the public and offer better care and support to young people”.

However, she added that the committee had received evidence that “it costs about four times more to keep a young person in secure care than a prison and we are calling on the Scottish Government to ensure adequate resources are in place for any change to be effectively implemented”.

“Although the Scottish Government told the committee they do not currently have plans to allow for individualised assessments at sentencing, we believe this flexibility would be beneficial and is something they should review in the future,” she said at the time.

Earlier this year, a joint FAI into the deaths of William Lindsay and Katie Allan, who both died by suicide in Polmont in 2018, sought to establish whether their deaths could have been prevented. That inquiry is yet to report.

Speaking about Beadle’s death, Brown said: “Every death in custody is a tragedy and I extend my deepest condolences to Jonathan’s family.

“The Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act which received royal assent on 4 June, includes provisions to end the placement of under-18s in Young Offenders’ Institutions.

“We are working with the Scottish Prison Service and Secure accommodation providers to commence these provisions shortly.

“The decision on whether to detain a child remains with the independent judiciary.”