There are many euphemisms for places where children are placed in custody-quiet rooms, secure accommodation, time-out rooms, and detention centers, to name a few. There are no precise figures on the numbers of children locked up in this way, largely because of the covert nature of such institutions and their practices. The chapter reviews principal findings and interpretations of three major studies: an exhaustive survey of children in custody in Great Britain and Ireland; a detailed account of the tension between rhetoric and practice in one of Scotland's three secure units; and an elaborate exploration of the whole issue of secure accommodations. The chapter describes the criteria used for placement of children in secure units, the sorts of children sent to them, units' policies and treatment practices and preparation and activities of their staff. References