All juveniles have been removed from Scottish youth prisons and moved to more child-friendly facilities.

The change follows suicides of young people in custody and the passing of a new law banning the imprisonment of children.

As recently as July, nine 16- and 17-year-olds were being held at Polmont Young Offenders Institution (YOI) near Falkirk, but on Friday the last child was moved to a closed childcare unit.

The Scottish Prison Service said it was a “landmark day when children will no longer be accepted into our care”.

BBC Scotland News estimates the change will free up around 70 places in the prison system.

It is believed that there have been two juvenile suicides in Polmont in recent years.

William Brown, also known as William Lindsay, was 16 when he died in 2018, while 17-year-old Jonathan Beadle committed suicide in July.

Scotland’s Chief Inspector of Prisons, Wendy Sinclair-Gieben, has previously said sending 16- and 17-year-olds to prisons like Polmont – especially those who have not yet been sentenced – was a breach of their human rights.

The Scottish Government promised in March 2022 to end the practice, and the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill received Royal Assent this summer.

Children and Youth Affairs Minister Natalie Don-Innes said the Government was “rapidly” implementing the new law.

“This move will ensure that children in conflict with the law are placed in safe and appropriate accommodation, ensuring that their well-being and rehabilitation are prioritised while also ensuring the safety of the community,” she added.

Activists have welcomed the decision, which they say should lead to better outcomes for young people.

Fiona Dyer, director of the Youth Justice Centre, told BBC Scotland News that prison conditions can be “harmful” and “traumatising” for young people.

She said: “Many of the children who come into conflict with the law at 16 and 17 are the ones who are in the most difficult situations, they have had traumatic experiences and we are re-traumatising them by putting them in environments that are not designed for children.

“We should be proud in Scotland to be taking this child-centred approach and leading the way for our neighbours.”

There are currently four residential care facilities in Scotland, each housing young people in groups of up to six.

The centres are supervised by the Care Inspectorate and run by care workers who work with young people.

Ms Dyer added: “As well as addressing their behaviour, they also receive the care and nurturing that children need to thrive.”

Jonathan Beadle’s death in July in Polmont, an apparent suicide, was the second time in six years that a teenager has died.

A 17-year-old has been sent to prison after pleading guilty to charges of disorderly conduct and possessing a weapon with intent to “assault and murder” a 16-year-old girl.

Earlier this year a joint inquest was held into the fatal accidents of Katie Allan, 21, and William Brown, 16, who committed suicide at Polmont Hospital within months of each other in 2018.

William, also known as William Lindsay, was never convicted of any crime and was only sent to Polmont because a place for him in a closed children’s unit could not be found.

Niall Cahill, a project worker who knew William, said the law change was “fantastic news”.

“No matter what someone has done at his age, he deserves at least a chance to be looked after,” he told BBC Scotland News.

“They’re kids, and everyone at some point in their life needs a little care or someone to show them they care.”

The youth worker described William as a “charismatic, funny boy, full of life”.

William spent most of his life in the care system, moving between 23 settings over 15 years, including homes and residential care.

“Throughout this whole time he remained energetic, friendly and cheerful, probably to hide the pain that was also inside him,” he said.

He added: “I hope that this will be William’s lasting legacy in this case. It breaks my heart to think that William will simply be forgotten in all of this because there are lessons to be learned from such a catastrophic mistake.”

Victims are “forgotten”

But charity Victim Support Scotland said while the decision was welcomed, it feared victims would be “forgotten”.

A charity spokesperson said he believed families affected by the changes had not been informed about them.

They added: “We repeatedly hear from victims that there is a lack of support and information about progress with their case and our concern is that this change will exacerbate this problem, particularly as serious violent and sexual offences are becoming more common in this age group.”

The representative added that the changes could have a “negative impact” on victims.