NCJ Number
164992
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 35 Issue: 4 Dated: (November 1996) Pages: 287-298
Date Published
1996
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This paper considers published material on the use of penal custody for male offenders between 14 and 16 years of age during the period from implementation of England's 1969 Children and Young Persons Act until the Home Secretary's 1993 announcement of a new provision concerning secure training orders.
Abstract
The published material shows that the decline of residential care in the 1970's contributed to a dramatic increase in the use of penal custody, despite growing criticism of both the level of incarceration and the institutional regimes provided. The "tough" approach of the incoming government in 1979 led to a trend away from the use of detention centers and toward more general decarceration, both of which were entirely contrary to expectations. The impact of custody on perceptions of the juvenile crime problem is discussed. The author concludes that liberal crime policies may be possible only when the government is confident in its own strength and has no need to demonstrate "toughness." 52 references, 1 note, and 3 tables