NCJ Number
140729
Date Published
1992
Length
6 pages
Annotation
In 1990, a total of 1,700 custodial sentences were passed on juvenile offenders in England and Wales. While this represents a decline of 84 percent since 1980, analysts predict that this figure could rise by about 11 percent in 1991 before the full implementation of the Criminal Justice Act 1991.
Abstract
Since the mid-1970's, a series of developments in the British juvenile justice system has affected significant reductions in custodial sentencing levels. A model of juvenile justice practice has emerged that is based on three key principles: maximum diversion of young offenders from crime, prosecution, and custody; minimum intervention in the lives of offenders; and management of the juvenile justice system as a single system. Local strategies based on these principles have been characterized by gatekeeping each stage of the juvenile justice process, monitoring key stages in the process to identify any potential gatekeeping failures, ensuring that social inquiry reports contain accurate and complete information, and developing credible and effective community programs for young offenders. This approach to dealing with young offenders has received official endorsement through various statutes and regulations, including, inter alia, the Criminal Justice Act 1991, the Prosecution of Offenses Act 1985, the Children Act 1989, and a Home Office Circular on "The Cautioning of Offenders." Continuing areas of concern that need to be addressed when monitoring the impact of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 are systemic discrimination against black young offenders, sentencing inconsistency among geographic regions, and the increase in use of custody for offenders convicted of serious crimes. 1 figure