Howard League responds to government decision to extend the use of PAVA spray in children’s prisons 

The Howard League for Penal Reform has responded to the Ministry of Justice’s decision to extend the use of PAVA spray against children in prison for a further year, confirmed in correspondence with the charity today (Tuesday 11 August).

PAVA spray was authorised in the three children’s prisons in England – Feltham A, Werrington and Wetherby – for 12 months in August 2025. The Howard League went to court to challenge this decision, and the High Court ruled that the decision to authorise the introduction of the weapon was lawful. This was despite the judge acknowledging that the Ministry of Justice did not expect the introduction of PAVA spray to reduce overall levels of violence and harm in prisons holding children, and that it may in fact cause a “long-term escalation and rising tenor of violent behaviour”. 

In a letter to the Howard League today, the Minister for Youth Justice acknowledges that issues of disproportionality, including any impact on Black children and children who are neurodiverse, are of ongoing concern. When the decision was originally made to introduce PAVA spray for use in children’s prisons, ministers were provided with an Equality Impact Assessment and a Child Rights Impact Assessment that showed that Black children, Muslim children and children with disabilities were likely to be particularly adversely affected by the decision. 

The use of PAVA spray has now been extended for a further 12 months until August 2027.  

No official data has been published by the government about the use of PAVA spray in children’s prisons since its introduction. However, the Independent Restraint Review Panel looked at six incidents of PAVA use in children’s prisons during 2025 and could only confirm that half of them were justified. 

Gemma Abbott, Legal Director at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “We are disappointed to hear that PAVA spray will continue to be used against children in prison for a further year. It is a damning indictment of the state of children’s prisons that the government ever resorted to arming officers with weapons, in the name of tackling violence.  

“The government has acknowledged in its recent Youth Justice White Paper that children are held in violent, unsafe prisons which are not fit for purpose, and where they cannot be rehabilitated. These children are bearing the brunt of the state’s failure to build a youth justice system that supports children and their communities to feel safe and to thrive. Prison is no place for a child. 

“The extension of PAVA use for a further year is all the more concerning given the government’s lack of transparency around its use so far. We know from our advice line helping young people in prisons how traumatic and destabilising the use of PAVA is for children, and we will continue to support those who are affected by this policy. We will be monitoring this extension and further developments closely and will not hesitate to take further action if necessary.” 

Notes to editors

1. The Howard League for Penal Reform is the oldest penal reform charity in the world. It is a national charity working for less crime, safer communities and fewer people in prison.
    
2. The Ministry of Justice has communicated the news of the extension to the Howard League by private correspondence, linked here: https://howardleague.org/letter-from-jake-richards-mp-parliamentary-under-secretary-of-state-for-justice/
   
3. More information about the Howard League’s work on PAVA can be found on the charity’s website at: https://howardleague.org/pava-spray-explainer/ 

4. A recent summary report of the work of the Independent Restraint Review Panel (IRRP) during 2025 looked at six incidents of PAVA use and could only confirm that half of them were justified. You can find the report here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-restraint-review-panel-irrp-summary-report-2025/independent-restraint-review-panel-irrp-summary-report-to-end-2025 

5. The Ministry of Justice White Paper on Youth Justice, “Cutting youth crime, changing young lives” is here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a06eb37c0cc74b4523e4e8c/youth-justice-white-paper.pdf  

Contact 

Noor Khan
Press and Public Affairs Officer
Tel: +44 (0)20 7241 7873
Email: [email protected]