NCJ Number
151828
Date Published
1994
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses the problems posed by very persistent juvenile offenders in Great Britain and calls for an improvement in the way the criminal justice system currently deals with this group.
Abstract
The overall criminal justice approach of the 1980's sought to divert young offenders from crime and into legal and constructive pursuits, from prosecution by using cautioning, and from custody into community-based programs. The lessons of successful government initiatives during that period illustrated that the most effective responses to juvenile offending are based in the community, managed through an interagency effort, integrated into services for children and families, and carefully targeted at the population for whom they are designed. The Children's Act 1989 and the Criminal Justice Act 1991 created the family proceedings court and the youth court as two venues for dealing with problems related to children and families, supplanting the juvenile court. Nonetheless, this paper argues that a major problem some jurisdictions are experiencing in dealing with recidivist juvenile offenders lies in their failure to use existing powers constructively and effectively. The range of resources needed to deal with these problems includes youth crime prevention projects, cautioning, bail support, intensive community supervision, and a variety of other programs including foster care and secure accommodation for juveniles who must be held in custody to protect the public.