Crying Cos I Can't Hit No-one Kids Behind Bars

This programme contains strong language.

Each year in Britain we lock up 2,000 school age children.

Vinney Green locks up both teenage boys and teenage girls.

The kids no-one else can tame.

Some of them are very difficult, very challenging.

Some of them are very dangerous.

Whether they are a danger to each other...

They're making threats to kill everybody, threatening to stab all the bitches that work at the unit.

..or a danger to themselves and sent here for their own protection.

I happened to go into her bedroom this time and found

that she'd actually put a ligature around her neck.

Are you scared?

They do need a rub of the head, just that motherly sort of touch.

That might surprise some people but they are only children.

Acts of violence committed by girls have doubled in the last four years.

Jess is here because of her aggression.

So I just went whack, hit my mother straight in the nose, broke her nose and cracked her cheekbone.

The staff have got their work cut out to tame her anger.

All I do is cry, cos I can't hit no-one..

Fucking move out my way.

Ruby has run wild throughout her childhood.

Fuck your mum!

Will her time at Vinney Green impact on her behaviour at all?

What are you thinking when you start to get angry?

I really want to fucking kill her.

And at the bottom of the girls' pecking order is Stef, who is in Vinney Green for her own protection.

This is the safest I've felt ever.

Vinney Green is called a children's home,

but for these girls it feels like a prison.

In Britain the law says that children can be held responsible for their crimes.

But are we locking the girls up

because we fear them, or can time behind bars change them?

Aaargh! I'm sorting this out for once and for all.

The girls at Vinney Green live on a separate residential unit,

known as Phase Two.

The units are very different.

The girls are very intense

and very demanding, very bitchy with one another.

And you don't tend to get that with the boys.

It can be volatile, very unpredictable

A new arrival has unsettled the girls and the staff are keeping a careful eye on them.

200 cameras monitor every move.

Whenever we get new people in

it's almost like they've got to re-establish their hierarchy.

It's completely like a pressure cooker and you know it's bubbling away and it's just going to blow.

When a critical incident kicks off

it takes five staff members to restrain two girls.

They're separated and taken to their rooms to calm down.

We've got a particular young person

who is really testing the boundaries of the staff over here at the moment.

The new arrival, Ruby, is a 15-year-old traveller.

Ruby is a little bit wild.

She struggles to fit

into the boundaries and routine of life at Vinney Green.

Damage to the door. That's just criminal damage, as far as I'm concerned.

You don't own the unit, Ruby. One more time and you'll be in your room, love.

-Do you think I care?

-Do you think I care?

Staff are still working out

how to get her to obey the unit's strict regime

Stop pushing people around, Ruby. You don't own the unit.

-Neither do you.

-Sorry?

Neither do you.

No, but I'm in charge. I'm in charge of you.

-All right? Get used to it.

-My father.

Your father's not here, is he?

Ruby is pushing the boundaries big time,

as regarding pushing past staff, telling staff, "open the door,

"do this, do that, I want this, I want that."

And she's now refusing to come out of her room.

What about the groups?

Are they all OK together?

No problems with Jazmine, no problems with Ryan...

Although she made threats to stab the teacher yesterday in cooking.

So her attitude's been quite badly lately.

Jessica is again just pushing the boundaries a little bit, verbally.

RADIO: 'Andy, are you receiving?'

Bear with me two secs. Yeah, receiving.

Did you see me when I came in?

Jess has had two months to secure top spot in phase two.

She likes holding court in the canteen.

I'd kill somebody if they pissed me off so much,

I'd fucking just put a bullet in their head.

Do the crime do the time, innit?

She's established herself in lots of ways at the top of the pecking order.

Because of her personality and her whole persona,

she's at the centre of whatever goes in in phase two.

I hate that, tall girls being really skinny.

-It just looks fucking stupid.

-Thanks.

You ain't tall though.

Charlie is a 17-year-old aspiring beautician.

She's been in the unit a month longer than Jess.

From the beginning they've been in competition.

I don't get along with girls, I fuckin' hate them.

They're mouthy little fuckers.

Oh, fuck's sake!

Usually other young people that nominate them,

"You're the strongest, you're the strongest, you're top dog here."

You will always get that, even with a group of eight young girls.

-Are you intimidated by me?

-No.

-Are you scared of me?

-No.

Jess is a very angry young lady.

That anger has manifested itself

by Jess being very violent in her community.

I'll fucking give her one of them.

Aaaargh!

Fuck you.

Jess has a long history of substance abuse and violence.

I started drinking,

and like, if anyone said to me, like, "Oh, shut up!"

I'd be like, "Oh, why don't you shut up?"

And then start an argument, and we'd just fight or something.

I try and walk away,

but if it does come to it I ain't going to stand there.

Morning.

The kids are locked up between nine at night and seven in the morning.

After that, every waking minute is structured and supervised.

For many this is the first time

they've actually had to go to school.

Some young people have struggled at some point in mainstream school

and they fall a little bit between the cracks in the system.

Doing classes together

is the only time the girls can hang out with the boys.

The maximum number in a class is four.

This intensive teaching is expensive, but necessary.

We don't group them by ability or age.

We group them first by, will they get on

and be able to do their work with those other people in the group?

If they don't get on, nobody does any work at all.

Fuckin' hell, I'm getting a headache.

You went through loads of people yesterday you wanted to be with.

-No, I said who I wanted it to be...

-I didn't see that.

I even told you, Ben and...

The girls are always demanding to change groups, and Jess is used

to getting her own way, even if it means taking on the headteacher.

-Who I wanted to be with.

-I don't know, I just got a long list.

-Go through...

-A long list?

-Can you change my group, please?

-I already changed your group.

Invariably, I come in half seven in the morning and find out that somebody had a fight with somebody

and they can't be in a group with that person.

-Paul, change my group!

-Not now!

The minute I think it's settled, it's not.

What was up with Ruby, why didn't she want to be...?

She just didn't want to be in that group, that's all.

Her take on it was, "I told you I wanted to change and you haven't changed me."

No, I haven't, you're right. All I'm doing is being stubborn with Ruby,

on purpose, that's all I'm doing.

We'll see who gives in first.

But you're the one who's choosing out.

You're the one that's choosing...

Ruby, you're the one that's choosing out of it, OK?

Value Added Tax is charged at a rate of 17.5%.

-Seventeen and a half, basically, yeah?

-Yeah.

Some girls get extra tuition.

It's Lyn's job to spot those with potential,

and she's trying to get Jess to sit her GCSEs.

Divide by 100...

Jess has actually got quite a lot going for her,

and if we can actually get that across to her

and give her informed choices,

get her to make the right choices,

she can turn it around.

Her turbulent lifestyle has meant that, up until now,

she has struggled with education.

I was like just the class clown and I beat my maths teacher up.

She gripped me in my arm, and I said "Don't grip me cos I will hit you."

And she just gripped me again and I punched her.

Then I put her arm in the door and slammed the door.

When they told me I was suspended, I just laughed, I did.

I thought, "Sound."

I fuckin' hated the school, anyway.

Although most of the girls on the unit have a history of violence,

they also have the usual teenage hang-ups.

Jess is no exception.

I've put on two stone and I'm hoping to lose it by the time I get out.

I've put on two stone in two months and a week.

You get to go to the gym and the astro,

but then that really ain't helping once a week, is it?

The only running I do is running from the police.

Jess may have issues with her weight,

but she's still got admirers on the unit.

Have you got a girlfriend?

Kind of, but I haven't met her yet.

Kind of, but you haven't met her yet.

Course you've met me, Ryan, I'm sitting next to you.

He's got more chance of the Pope shitting in his hand.

But why do you think he likes you?

I don't know, everyone likes me, don't they?

There does seem to be a few friendships developing

between the people on Phase One and on Phase Two.

They call it linking, which is a very funny terminology,

but what people have to understand

is that very hormonal teenager that we are dealing with.

It's something that we would not encourage.

Physical contact would not be allowed at all.

The staff keep a watch out for signs of who,

at the moment, is linking with who.

-What are you doing with that hand there?

-Resting it on my knee.

Well, it looks dodgy from here, that's all.

Looks really dodgy from here.

But that doesn't stop them sneaking love letters

whenever they get the chance.

The only place where children are not monitored by CCTV

is their bedrooms.

If the daily search turns up a letter up that goes too far,

it will be confiscated.

Craig, have you read any of their letters?

Oh, is this one we've confiscated?

-Yeah.

-"I love you. I can't wait to see you, baby,

"so I can xxxxx.

"Do you love me, yes, or no?

"I want you in my room, baby, do you want me in yours?

"Yes, or no?"

But the rules of the unit are that the kids are never allowed

in each other's bedrooms.

So relationships are always played out in public.

Yeah, and you're also touching her and you need to stop.

Charlie is linking with the top dog on the boys' unit.

The staff are worried this could cause problems amongst the girls.

The young person that Charlie is linking with

has quite a big status in Phase One, has a certain amount of kudos.

I'm guessing that there is a lot of jealousy going on.

Everyone's complaining about Charlie, what they're like in the lesson.

They do, they hold hands and everything, it does my fucking...

Jess has got used to being the centre of attention,

but Charlie's success with the boys

has made their conflict more intense.

Staff have heard that Jess plans to attack her rival.

At the staff handover

the Deputy Manager reports on the latest threat.

We've got a feeling that Jess doesn't know what a bully is.

She has no concept of what bullying is or isn't.

I mean, Charlie's mum's on the phone all the time, so if Jess does attack Charlie,

what does that look like? As if we haven't done anything about it.

So we've split the groups up, we're taking Jess five minutes late to school.

If she asks why, "It's because you made threats towards Charlie."

Everything does change. Even a week is enough to completely change the dynamics of a group.

What would happen in a normal school, where they'd have an argument,

a little fight, but it gets calmed down.

Here the potential for it to be more serious is there. So rather than give them the chance,

which may be not right, we take them out of the groups and we make the decisions for them, basically.

Tensions are running high in Phase Two.

When an emergency alarm goes off in the residential area, all available staff respond.

You're just trying to get there as quick as possible.

It's frustrating that you can't run directly.

There's all these doors to open and close behind you.

You're worried that somebody's being injured. That there's two children fighting or something.

You never know what you're going to run into, really.

We've got a young person who is on five minute checks, which means

we just check their room every five minutes.

I went into her room and found that she'd actually put a ligature around her neck.

A 14-year-old girl with a history of self harm has recently arrived on the unit.

She was red in the face, but she hadn't tied it on, it was just around her neck.

She had that just wrapped around her neck basically.

A headband, actually, yeah.

-'Hello?'

-Hi, Andy, is everything OK over there?

'Yeah, we're just dealing with Steph, she had a ligature around her neck.

'Lizzie's with her at the moment trying to talk to her.'

Do we know if she's got any other headbands?

'I'll do that in a second, I don't want to search her room while she's in there.'

No, obviously not. Why don't you see if she wants some fresh air, and then try and get the room searched.

-'No worries.'

-All right, mate. Thanks.

Self harm is more common with the females, ligatures especially.

This new young person that's come, she's just started to do that.

Steph is in Vinney Green because she's a danger to herself.

She's never been in trouble with the authorities.

I've just spent the last hour just sitting and talking to her, trying

to see if she wants to speak about it or maybe see the psychologist.

Stephanie hasn't been with us for very long, but when you know their story,

you know their history

and you can see their going through a hard time,

it definitely does affect you.

But that's all part of the job, I suppose.

I came to Vinney Green for running away from different foster placements.

I usually just ran wherever.

I just kept running till someone stopped me.

I kept thinking that running away would get rid of my problems, and

I just was quite scared and I didn't know what to do.

The first time I self harmed was about two months before I came into care.

People have a load of emotions and have a lot going on, and this is the only way to get rid of it.

Cos sometimes, when you hurt yourself, it gets rid of the pain for a while

because you concentrate on a different pain.

We have young people here that have offended,

and we have young people here that are on welfare.

The one thing, perhaps, they've both got in common is they're both damaged, for whatever reason.

A lot of the young people that we keep in Vinney Green, their family backgrounds aren't all that perfect,

and it's almost they have to follow the family trait of being locked up, they think that is the norm.

Ruby has been in trouble from an early age.

When Ruby leaves Vinney Green, she will go and stay with her nan.

She is the most stable influence in her life.

Ruby is the sort of person who'd rather be on a camp,

if you know what I mean?

On a site, wouldn't she?

As soon as me mum got the house, she went up to

the site in Southampton where our people stays.

She don't go with strangers or nothing, it's all our relations, our cousins, or aunts and uncles.

We always know where Ruby is,

all the time, we'll always know where she is, and we know she's safe.

She's a bit like her dad, he's very wild, wasn't he, Chamaine?

Yeah, he's very outgoing.

-Outgoing all the time.

-And so is our mother, as well.

SHE SQUEALS

Ruby's behaviour is still as inappropriate as it was on the day she arrived, two months ago.

And the staff are still struggling to control her.

Ruby, stop it.

Ruby get your hands off me.

Ruby, get away from the door.

Shirley, can you not fool with that?

SHOUTING

If you want to go out, fine.

You need some time out, for the moment...

'Ruby doesn't particularly like working very much.'

you probably saw her swearing at me, being quite rude to me,

and at some points actually physically going for me.

Concerned for her safety, Corrine presses her alarm,

which alerts other members of staff that she needs help.

'It can get your heart racing, but I try to stay in control because that reassures the other young'

people in the room that they're safe as well and they're not in danger.

So, I want you to think about a time when you got really angry and what you did.

The focus of the unit's work with Ruby is around this aggressive behaviour.

I want you to think about what happens when you start to get angry,

when you're really angry and when you start to calm down.

Which box you can think about...

It's Ruby's weekly session with her key-worker.

How your body feels, what are you thinking when you start to get angry?

-You're annoyed?

-Yeah.

-I'll write it, you say it, yeah?

-Stressed...

Ruby, please don't do that.

-So when you're coming down from getting angry, what do you do?

-Dunno.

-You start feeling better, don't you? Getting calmer...

-I'm looking at my tits.

So, do you think this was the best way to deal with it?

-Do you deal with it in the right way?

-Yeah.

We go through the emotions of different situations,

talk through how the young people feel, emotional health.

She loves me.

Hmmm.

Anger is an issue which a lot of young people have here.

Often it's not being able to control their anger that's got them into trouble in the first place.

Through Jess's stay here, we will try to help her manage her anger.

-She really struggles with channelling it into any other emotion.

-Come on, Lyn.

What's your relationship like with your mum?

It's gone better since I've been in here, because like me and

my mother we always used to fight, I used to beat her up, my father used to come and have a go at me.

I used to beat him up... Like I bit a chunk out of his arm last year.

So what makes you that angry, what do they do?

I'm an angry person.

My father can get angry and my mother can get angry, and my older

brother, he's proper angry like, and he don't give a shit for no-one.

So do you feel like you can't control it?

Not really, because like,

if my mother pissed me off, she'd come up to me trying to like...

Like once I went whack, hit my mother straight on the nose, broke her nose and cracked her cheek-bone.

When she got a mood on, we can all look out and she wouldn't care.

I think they should have just put her away sooner,

I do. Not because I'm being horrible,

because I love Jess to bits and she knows it.

Or make her go to a drug rehabilitation, because the

only trouble Jessica got into was when she was drunk or drugged up.

While growing up in the Welsh Valleys, Jess terrorised her

home town, and her family often bore the brunt of her aggression.

She'd just come towards us with a knife.

So we slammed the door shut holding our hand like this against the door, because she's a big girl.

The knife came through the door. I was white.

She's got no life in her eyes, when she starts there's no life there, is there?

-Valium, Jessica was on, and cannabis.

-And ketamine.

I didn't know how to help her, none of us did.

I said to you, "move my group, I'm fed up with being in this group and you keep me in here."

Jess has had no access to drugs for three months now.

I do wanna hit him,

and if I do hit him it ain't my fault, it's all his fault for not fuckin' changing me.

Trying to control her temper is taking its toll in a different way.

I think Jess is very highly stressed and I think she puts on a massive, massive front for other people.

I've walked out of here and she's sat out there and refuses to speak to me.

And the other girls have gone and you say, "Come on then, what's the matter?"

And she'll just bursts into tears. She wants to look like she's all

powerful but behind it she's an upset girl, same as anyone else.

She still has major, major anger issues, though.

There is an atmosphere on the girls' unit.

Jess and the others are locked in their rooms while staff deal with another Steph situation.

Often we've had to cut ligatures off Stephanie and restrain her to keep her safe.

When a young person is self harming and putting their lives in danger, we have to go in and do something.

For her own personal protection we've had to strip the room of

a lot of her own personal items, a lot of her clothing.

But the girl is still very low.

There were issues with her doing ligatures again this morning.

Until she changes her behaviour, unfortunately it's going to be quite a bare room for the time being.

Being locked in their rooms for nearly an hour is building resentment against Steph.

Some find it particularly difficult.

I said to Steph, "I'll fucking strangle you with razor wire if you don't fucking shut up."

Do you think that helpful?

She goes in her room trying to strangle herself, right.

I'd give her my shoelaces if she wanted it as well.

You don't need to get involved.

Been in that room for at least an hour when she's kicking off and I fucking go mad in my room.

This place gets me so frustrated. I always get upset with myself.

I go in my room and fucking smash my room up because I'm upset.

Don't smash your room up. That's not going to solve anything, it's not going to change anything.

You see how upset you are now?

Well, other people get like that but they take it to the next degree, yeah.

-This is all I do, cry and cry and cry.

-It's horrible, isn't it?

It's cos I can't hit no-one.

That's good, don't hit anybody.

Look at you, you are getting yourself in a right state.

You're going down and down and down.

You don't need it. Jess, you are better than this, you know that.

Keep with it.

'Jess is not feeling too good about herself at the moment.'

Jess has put on some weight unfortunately since she's been here, so that's not helping her, really.

How long have you been here for?

While just plays with the camera, the senior care officer, Charlotte,

takes her chance to tell her how she really sees it.

I always like to treat all of you with respect

and treat you without any judgment as to what you've done.

I believe that none of you lot were born bad.

I believe that you were all born innocent babies, yeah.

And that things that have happened in your life have made you the way you are at the moment.

Cos like my father has been in prison, one of the staff thinks I'm trying to live up to them.

But I ain't really, it's just, like...

Being in here has pissed me off.

You know, you've got a really good head on your shoulders.

You are very intelligent, you've got a lot of knowledge.

You've got a lot to say for yourself

but it's just usually said in the wrong way,

in an aggressive manner.

Be brave, Jess, and stop showing me this, "Grr", yeah?

Drop that front and show me what's really you.

Helping the young people build

up their self-confidence is one of Vinney Green's main aims.

Given different opportunities, some of these young people may well not end up in crime in the future.

So many of them have a lot of potential

that is never tapped into.

Divided by 25.

Jess is unusual. She's decided to knuckle down and prepare for her GCSEs.

But most of the kids here aren't at a level to sit any exams.

I don't know how to count.

Is it because it's got 50K and things like that...?

A lot of these young people have given up on school.

For some of them, they feel they are not going to achieve anything,

and that mainly is because they are of low academic ability.

Use the best word to finish each sentence.

You want to make all these sentences...

'Ruby isn't very good with reading at the moment.

'And when in a group, will not try.'

There you go. You're on your way.

She has spent little time at school in her 15 years and has a reading age of just seven.

But at last she is accepting some help.

Think of a good word to finish each sentence. You've got to think of your own word here.

-I like...

-I live in a...

How do you spell trailer?

T-R-A-I...

-Huh?

-A-I...

'If they are in a group, they fear failure, I think.

'So if they don't try,

'they don't fail.'

We do see that 99% of young people do improve on literacy and numeracy levels.

You see somebody who's very insecure in themself

and then they go out much more confident.

Confidence-building is not the only goal of Vinney Green.

They are trying to help them relate to others too.

-Do you live in a house or one of them things?

-One of them things.

What are they called?

You see these huts...?

This is the first time Jess has been away from the valleys.

What gets me, how it's only a white person can be racist.

If you're Black and a Blackie called you a pint of milk or

something like that, you can't do nothing about it.

It's all right for them to take the mickey out of us. They talk foreign,

-they could be calling us rotten.

-That's what wound Jessica up, because they were shouting at her.

-It just came to a head, didn't it?

-Yeah.

Jess is being given the opportunity to confront some tricky issues.

Her violence and racist behaviour has often got her into trouble.

I don't recognise racist nigger, see?

-I hate that word.

-Why?

-Because it's got so much history to it and was used in such abusive ways.

I know that some black people call each other it but I still hate that.

-Why?

-I just really...

So if someone black said to you, "What up, nigger?"

-You wouldn't like it?

-No.

I know it doesn't mean the same as if you said it to me.

-It's better than nignog. I'd rather nigger than nignog.

-I don't like either.

She says she's not racist, as a lot of racist people do.

So it's quite interesting to have the discussion because she knows I'm mixed race.

She even said to me that her dad would be OK with me because I'm pale.

There isn't supposed to be a black racist person, there's no such thing as a black racist.

-Anyone can be racist.

-When I called a black boy across my street a nigger, right,

because we were arguing, and he called me a milk bottle.

I said, "Yeah, shut up, you nigger."

I was about seven and the police came to my house because they heard me.

-You were seven?

-Seven, eight. I used to sing it out my window.

I'd say, "Eeny meeny miney mo, catch a nigger by his toe."

I used to sing that to him.

-Jess...

-Shut up, for fuck's sake!

You can have a sensible conversation with her but I think there are deep,

ingrained issues with her because of her background.

The Ku Klux Klan, they used to go beating up black people and tie them to a tree and light them on fire.

The reason they wore those hooded...

'Being here might be the first time she's seen black people in a positive way rather than negative.'

Tie a black person to a tree, knocks on the door that they live in and see him hanging, and they all run off.

It's important for her to have those conversations.

It's important she's got people like me and Gemma and the care staff

that aren't all white.

I think that being here, she might actually learn something.

I don't know, but she might.

I have a right to go into your room as a member of staff.

You ain't killing my cuddly toys.

Three months into her stay, Steph is stable enough to be given her belongings back.

-She's spent six weeks living in a bare room for her own safety.

-How about that little rabbit?

No! He's threatening to kill them.

-He won't kill them.

-Thank you.

This is the safest I've felt ever, nearly all my life.

I can't put myself in danger by running away because of the bars and all that.

It's secure and no one can get me whilst I'm in here.

Steph has not been attacked by Jess.

The girls on phase two have overcome their frustration

with her self-harming and have even accepted her as one of them.

When I first found out, when I came here, I was kind of scared.

But I sort of got used to it now cos at the end of the day

they are still people and they've still got feelings.

I struggle making friends at home and that, I've made more friends here than I have ever.

All the people round here are like family.

It's just amazing being here.

If I could stay here I would definitely want to stay forever.

Sometimes our job is crap.

I'm going to have a key work session with Stephanie now.

I have to break some pretty bad news to her, really.

Hello, you, all right?

Let's go and have a chat. We are going to go into the little TV room.

I'm going to get straight to the point.

Not very good news, you are not going to be very happy.

Social Services doesn't feel that you necessarily fit the criteria

to stay in secure accommodation, so you have to go on Thursday.

-You're joking?

-I'm not. Everybody is feeling that this isn't necessarily the best thing that could happen,

but that is the decision.

So talk to me.

Tell me what you think.

-Hey?

-The whole point was to stop me from running and it's just going

-to end up happening again. I've already said that to them.

-I know.

I thought they'd go by what I say.

At least take it into consideration, but they don't.

They haven't.

It's just too soon.

You can't...

It's all being rushed.

It's even worse because it's just...too soon.

I just don't know.

You don't know.

Are you scared? OK.

Come on.

Scott, have you seen them?

Is it OK to go to bedroom one?

'Yeah, no problem.'

Some of the girls have threatened to attack Ruby, so Lyn is moving her

around the unit separately for her own protection.

Scott, the senior on phase two,

is aware of the conflict with two other young people

that are being educated in phase two at the moment.

He just warned us to go the other way.

Ruby has applied to get out of Vinney Green

and has had a letter saying her application has been received.

Want me to read it to you?

And her case manager has added some personal advice.

He's put a star there. You need to make sure your behaviour is good

and you do not get into trouble or get any sanctions before then.

That's a little note from...

But Ruby has become an easy target for the other girls,

who are trying to provoke her into fighting and losing this chance

of getting out.

You're doing the right thing by choosing to keep yourself away from that situation so nothing happens.

And that's a really good choice. Well done, you.

It's critical that the staff keep on top of who is planning to attack who.

Jess and Ruby were bully on Tuesday, and now it's changed again.

-In two days.

-Yeah.

I spoke to Ruby this morning and said, "Can you now see both sides of the situation?

-"How you feel being in that vulnerable situation."

-What did she say?

-"Yeah..."

She kind of recognises that now.

Ruby is not the only girl feeling vulnerable.

For Steph, the downside of getting better is that she'll have to leave.

But she's requested to stay for another four weeks.

-That decision is imminent.

-How you doing, Michelle?

Four week extension, yeah.

That's good news for her anyway. All right. Bye now.

Some people will say that we're pandering to her needs, but it's not a bad idea to have

another four weeks to get your head into the fact that you're going to be leaving this institution

where you are safe, you are secure, you are basically looked after 24/7.

They can flourish and be nurtured here and grow

and they want a bit more of it. They don't want to be going.

We do get that a lot, the young people don't want to leave.

Which is nice for us!

It's a good thing, not a bad thing.

Steph's stay at Vinney Green is not dependent on good behaviour.

But for some, it's the key to getting out early.

When I'm sitting in here, I think of what I could be doing when I'm out.

Just wishing that I wasn't here, to be honest.

Although it's a secure unit, families are encouraged to visit.

And most come once a week.

I love you.

The visits are always monitored on CCTV and some will be supervised by staff.

Got a visit.

My mother and that. Right.

Jess is trusted to see her family alone.

Despite all they've been through with her, they come as often as they can.

I don't know if you tried cooking, Jess.

I can't cook!

You put eggs in the microwave.

'I look up to my mother in a way because she weren't naughty

'when she was a kid, and I wish I was like that.'

Her family have encouraged her to sit her exams.

You have to make my arse look small on this.

I want to pass them because when I go to college I can do my A-levels or something.

And just show all my friends that I can do it, and my mother that I can.

I'm so proud of her.

Up until she went in there, she wouldn't have sat them.

I never knew that.

Fingers crossed.

-Good luck, Jess.

-You all right?

Jess has applied to go to college once she leaves.

But she needs to get out early in time to enrol.

Having early release means a lot to me because I've got my application

for college on the 11th and I get out on the 8th.

If I miss that, I'll have to start next year, like.

It's going to piss me right off as well.

If I don't have my early, I swear I'm fucking going to go mad,

I won't even look at my GCSE results, there'll be no point.

There's no guarantee that her early departure will be approved.

In Jess' situation, it takes a little bit more consideration as to whether they grant it.

I think she thinks that she may well not get it.

She understands that it's not necessarily a matter of course.

I think that will be disappointing for her.

But Steph knows for sure that she's only got two weeks left.

She's been doing well, but the staff have received

some worrying news about her older brother who has severe disabilities.

He's been in hospital for several weeks.

Apparently they rang last night and spoke to Abbi

and his condition is critical and he's on a life-support machine.

They don't think he's going to last all that long.

Because the situation is so serious,

Steph is being allowed out of the unit with a care worker

to visit her brother in hospital.

The staff are so worried about her mental state when she returns

that they are searching her room for anything she could harm herself with.

Things like this that shouldn't be in here.

A piece of plastic.

Exactly.

For self-harm, etc.

We'll take that.

Just taking precautions really.

Like these bits.

Probably off some clothes that she's snapped off.

We do room searches anyway.

However, because of the recent news she's had, we want to particularly make sure that the room is safe.

I'm just going to take a paperclip.

She can just open it up and she could use it to self-harm or anything else.

Ruby has avoided any fights since she applied to get out early.

At the weekly senior staff meeting they've received a decision.

Ruby's early release application has been approved.

She's going home to Nan's.

We've got a couple of weeks left to see this through

and see what's worked really. Finish off on a positive note.

She's much better in school.

She's much calmer.

And simply being forced to do lessons one-on-one has transformed her learning dramatically.

She's gone up two years on her maths.

That's fantastic.

-That's a good result.

-She's done quite well really.

Andy!

# Shout whenever

# And I'll be there

# You are my love

# You are my heart

# And we will never ever, ever, ever be apart... #

I don't know the rest.

Tomorrow, Friday?

'I'm sorry, I thought you said Saturday.'

No, tomorrow.

The thing is, Ruby, how are we going to get you back?

Kathleen. You sure?

All right then, babe, I love you. See you on...

I won't be seeing you on Friday because they go on holiday, I'll see you when I get back, yeah.

Bye, babe.

I hope that she has changed...

For her sake.

She's getting older, she's not getting younger.

-Older and wiser, I hope.

-She's only a baby.

You got married when you were 16.

Yeah, but it doesn't matter,

she's still only a child. She's only 15, she is only young.

She knows what she's doing but she's just wild, she's still only a baby.

She shouldn't be in there really, should she?

While you've been in here, what do you think you've learnt?

I think you've learnt a lot more on the social skills side of things as well.

Ruby will be missed.

But then you move on.

It will be a very slow, gradual process.

I thought so.

Fade into...?

Steph spent three days and nights at her brother's bedside.

Tragically, he passed away.

I got on with my brother more than I did anyone.

I don't think it's properly hit me yet.

I haven't really shown any emotions about it.

Despite the staff's concern about her welfare, there is no option of extending her stay a second time.

And a week later she has to leave.

She's had two things to deal with.

She's had the move from here and then her brother dying.

It's too much, she's not robust enough to be able to deal

with one of those things really, let alone two,

which most, perhaps more robust people, would struggle with.

She's only 14, we have to remember that.

She's told staff she plans to run away at the first chance she gets

from the regular children's home she's being moved to.

I'm really proud of how well you've done. So just don't undo it all.

But I ain't going to this place.

You know what, if you get there just keep your head down for a while.

-It's in the countryside.

-Then you might

get moved on somewhere better.

-I ain't waiting.

-But if you run away there's no guarantee that you are going to come back here.

I'll be really sad to hear that you've run.

In you get, the sooner we get there the sooner we can get out.

-I don't want to go.

-You'll be fine.

You'll be OK.

'She's going to try and get out of a window and she plans to run.'

You have to sit in the middle on this occasion.

Steph, we need you to move up.

You've got to move up.

She has to sit in the middle to prevent her from jumping from the car.

I know you don't want to but you have to.

There isn't any choice at the moment.

Can't drive with this leg hanging out because we might get stopped.

-Move over a bit, love.

-No!

Come on.

-In?

-Yeah.

It's upsetting, an upsetting start to the journey.

So hopefully she'll calm down.

She doesn't want her seatbelt on, they might have to go without it.

It was traumatic for her today.

It would have been nice if she could have got in the car

and went to her new placement.

It's not nice that she has to be physically restrained.

It's upsetting for them, me and upsetting for her mainly.

It's not a good start, is it, really.

Hello. How are you?

A decision has been made about whether Jess will be allowed to leave early.

You know you put your application in.

-Yeah.

-What they do is look at all the paperwork that has been sent in.

-Just tell me.

-The decision was...

-Yes.

-Ah-ha-ha!

Congratulations.

I'm going to start crying.

Are you pleased? Well done.

-I've only got two weeks left now.

-I know, read it, Jess.

Getting out early means she can enrol in college.

But this is dependent on her keeping her temper while she's here.

I haven't got my early.

It's all right, man.

I'm only joking, I have got it really.

Yeah.

I'm excited about her coming home in one way, then in the other it's anticipation.

14 days.

-Yeah.

-If she comes back out and she goes back down the drug road,

I'm not going to put up with it no more.

I'll have to kick her out because they don't tell you the effects

that drugs have on the other family members, like my son.

He never started talking

until Jess got locked away.

My street will be dreading it.

The street be dreading it now I'm out.

'I hope she's changed.

'I really do hope she's changed.'

All the best. Don't come back, yeah.

After four months, it's Ruby's turn to be let out.

If she breaks any of the rules on the outside, she could find herself back in secure accommodation.

-Just watching and waiting.

-With Ruby's nan on holiday,

her Auntie has agreed to collect her from Vinney Green.

It's the cleaner. Are they here yet?

You've just got to be patient, they'll be here shortly.

But they're not here, it's 9 o'clock.

-I'm sure they are on their way.

-She's definitely left.

-How do you know?

-She's rung me.

-How do you know?

-Cos we all know.

-You are joking me.

OK, mate. Thanks very much.

That's it, isn't it?

Her Auntie's been pulled at Southampton in the car for not having tax,

so they haven't got any transport to come and pick her up.

-Ruby?

-Yeah. Reality is sometimes weirder than fiction.

With her Auntie's car stranded, Ruby is stuck at the unit.

I never thought poor Charlotte would be taking me.

If a child's family fail to pick them up, the staff will take them to an already agreed address.

Don't want to see you again. No going back in.

-Tell everyone I said goodbye.

-I will do. Take care of yourself.

We take them out of their environment, do what we can

with them and put them back in their environment. It's what they know.

And, actually, sadly,

the good work becomes undone.

Do you think you will change, do you think you'll go back to it?

I hope I change because I've done my GCSEs when I was in here and when I was out I wouldn't have done them.

So in here, it's a good thing being in here but a bad thing at the same time, if you get me.

Because my mother and that ain't happy that I'm in here but for me...

It's doing me some good. I've put on loads of weight, though.

-It's not all because of the food, I don't reckon, it's because I'm off all the drugs, isn't it?

-Possibly.

I was taking loads of drugs - powder, weed.

I used to sniff coke as well.

The advantage Jess has got his she was here and out of that for quite a long time, approaching six months.

And that she is a strong personality.

-You can call me fat.

-Are you pregnant?

Jess faces a final test of her temper just a week before she is due to leave.

Oh, yeah. Ha-ha(!)

All you can do is call me fat. I don't give a fuck if I'm fat.

Look at your fucking spot.

All you can say is "fat", it don't bother me being fat.

Try it, go on, hit me. Slap me in my face.

-I'm in here for fighting.

-So what?

She said , "I'm not going to fight with you because that's what I'm in here for."

What she meant was, "I'm trying to learn something."

Whether she would say that, that is what she meant.

She has definitely improved in the way she can control herself.

Fatty!

You fat, ugly, fat slut.

-Wanker.

-Your mum's got...

What did you say about my mother?

-What?

-What did you say about my mum?

I didn't say anything about your mother.

'She's certainly demonstrated that she can, not turn the other cheek,

'I don't think Jess is a turn the other cheek type of person, but walk away and show a bit more maturity.'

Goodbye!

The issue for Jess is who she mixes with when she leaves,

does she get involved in smoking the wrong things, or can she get on and turn things around and move forward?

She can go a long way and do a lot of things.

Watch out, I'm back.

My fags!

Look, Mum.

290, look.

-What?

-Mails.

Jess has got her mobile back.

It's been five months since she had any contact with her friends.

That's in Birmingham.

'Jess is going to be at home and quite bored.

'In the area that she lives there's lots of drug houses and she's really scared that she's going to end up

'going into one of those and using drugs.

'She doesn't want to behave like that anymore. She wants to start again.'

Look, this is what I mean. Why mail me about raves and that when I'm...

"Missing you, babes, can't wait for you to come out and have a sesh with me and the boys."

I'm not blind to think that everybody is going to turn round

and no one's ever going to commit a crime,

no one is ever going to come back again.

But I always think, you have to give somebody another chance.

You've got to keep going with them.

If somebody can get into a college programme or a school,

perhaps it's different to what they were doing before, perhaps it builds

on something that they learned by they were here, then there is opportunity to change it around.

But if not, then it's back to same old, same old.

Next... The last chance for the boys

who are growing up locked up and facing a lifetime in and out of prisons.

I don't lose control, I just choose to get angrier.

We all think we are bad but we know the truth, we're not bad.

Fuck the system.

By Christmas I'll be back inside.

It's just my life. Trouble.

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