Inside story: Life for young offenders

Kenneth Roy’s fine article on the deaths in custody of an 18-year-old and a 19-year-old at Polmont young offenders' institution affected me deeply. These deaths, unexpected and lonely, at ages when other youths are still in education or starting out in employment, and most likely going home every day to family, is a tragedy. A tragedy for the loss of promise of purposeful life. A tragedy for the grieving families and friends. A tragedy for the staff in Polmont who were closest to the young men.