Section one Context hoods’ against children by police forces in England.32 Lay Observers reported concerns about an increase in errors or missing information in Person Escort Records (used to record information about detainees when they are transferred between places of detention) in England and Wales. Key data such as medical history and risk factors were observed to be regularly missed, raising possible safety concerns for both those detained and staff.33 Both lay observers and inspectors noted poor conditions in a number of court custody facilities.34 Immigration detention As at 31 March 2017, 2,930 people were held in immigration detention, which is relatively similar to the previous year’s figure of 2,925. Figures for just after the close of the year (3 April 2017) showed that 337 people were held in prison establishments in England and Wales solely pursuant to immigration powers.35 As in the previous year, inspections of adult immigration removal centres noted concerns about the prison-like environment of these centres. There were improvements in the application of Rule 35 protections but weaknesses remained, including delays which extended the detention of vulnerable people in some cases. A new Home Office policy on managing adults at risk, which was introduced during the year, was reported to not be widely understood and there was a lack of communication between staff in contact with at-risk detainees in centres and Home Office caseworkers who determine whether detention should continue. Communication failures were noted to result in an inability to identify and support adults at risk and monitor how detention was impacting them. Inspections found people with severe mental illnesses being detained and many cases of prolonged detention were found at all centres inspected.36 In March 2017, the High Court heard a judicial review challenge to the way in which government policy and guidance defined torture for the purposes of identifying adults at risk. For the year ending September 2016, 121 children entered immigration detention, a welcome decrease of 34% on the previous year and 89% from 2009.37 During the year, Cedars pre-departure accommodation, a specialist facility holding families with children, was inspected and found to be a child-centred, decent and safe facility. 32. Children’s Rights Alliance for England, 2016, State of Children’s Rights in England 2016: Briefing 8 Policing & Criminal Justice, http://www.crae.org.uk/media/118312/crae_scr2016_b8_cjs-web.pdf [accessed 11/10/17]. 33. See also Lay Observers, 2017, Annual Report to the Secretary of State for Justice 2016–2017, https://layobservers.org/ reports/ [accessed 26/10/17]. 34. HM Inspectorate of Prisons, 2017, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales Annual Report 2016–17, https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/07/HMIP-AR_2016-17_ CONTENT_11-07-17-WEB.pdf [accessed 22/08/17]. See also Lay Observers, 2017, Annual Report to the Secretary of State for Justice 2016–2017, https://layobservers.org/reports/ [accessed 26/10/17]. 35. Home Office, 2017. National Statistics: How many people are detained or returned? https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2017/how-many-people-are-detained-or-returned, [accessed 22/08/2017]. These figures cover only those detained in immigration removal centres (IRCs), short-term holding facilities (STHF) and pre-departure accommodation (PDA). 36. HM Inspectorate of Prisons, 2017, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales Annual Report 2016–17, https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/07/HMIP-AR_2016-17_ CONTENT_11-07-17-WEB.pdf [accessed 22/08/17]. 37. Home Office, 2016, National Statistics: Detention, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statisticsjuly-to-september-2016/detention#children-in-detention [accessed 22/08/17]. Updated figure of 121 provided by the Home Office. 19