Rehabilitation over retribution

Responding to reports that at least 40 children have been held in solitary confinement, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey said: "It is hard to imagine any circumstance in which detaining children in solitary confinement is appropriate. "When it comes to offenders, our emphasis must be on rehabilitation rather than retribution. Solitary confinement has been proven to be ineffective and numerous human rights groups have spoken out against the practice. "We are traumatising the very people we should be protecting and this Conservative Government has a lot to answer for, starting with the former Home Secretary, the Prime Minister."