I started misbehaving from a really young age; I was about 11 years old. Me and my family started to have big fallouts and I ran away from home many times, so a couple of years later I went into care. I thought I'd be happier there and that it would change me, but it did the opposite: it made me worse.

I got up to all sorts of stuff; I didn't listen to anyone and I was getting arrested almost every week for all sorts of terrible things like assaults and robberies, but I was always let off with a warning. Eventually though, enough was enough and, when I was 14, I was tagged. This meant I was tracked by the police and couldn't be out past certain times in the evening.

The turning point

I managed to stick to my curfews for a couple of months, but then I got bored and started to breech them. I never thought I'd get in serious trouble for this, so I couldn't believe when I was arrested again and wasn't let off so lightly: I was given an 8 month Detention and Training Order (DTO).

DTOs can be given to people who are too young to go to prison (aged 12-17), but have committed crimes that are prison-worthy. It usually means that you spend half your sentence in custody working on your offending behaviour and the other half out in the community, under regular supervision.

*Some names may have been changed.

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Life "inside"

To be honest, I didn't really care about being locked up to begin with: I was pleased with the place and liked some of the other people there. As the first couple of weeks passed slowly though, I realised how tough the next few months were going to be and I really began to hate it. I hated being told how to behave and I hated having nothing to do, so one day I lost my temper and caused a lot of damage to my unit.

I got in so much trouble for that; I could have easily been given a longer sentence. This was a major wake up call for me. Being locked up is the most horrible thing that can happen to you, it makes you feel so down all the time, so being kept there longer was the last thing I wanted. I realised I needed to turn my life around… and that's exactly what I've done.

Moving forward

I've grown up a lot whilst I've been in custody and have realised how stupid I was to get involved in crime. It didn't solve any of my problems, it just made them worse, and my punishment really hasn't been worth it.

I've really kept my head down since my last incident and have started sorting out my future. I've already got a new foster placement lined up with a lovely family and I'll be enrolling in a hairdressing course at my local college.

The main reason I've changed my ways so much during my time locked up is because the people here really love me and care about me - without them, there's no way I'd be able to move forward with my life.

Slink Says:

There are a number of different sentences suitable for young people, but a Detention and Training Order is one of the few that mean a person under 18 years of age can be held in custody.

For more info on DTOs and other punishments, check out these websites:
The Youth Justice Board
The Surgery

If you're feeling unloved or neglected, remember there IS help and advice out there:
The Samaritans
Childline (it's not just for kids)