NCJ Number
161779
Date Published
1996
Length
177 pages
Annotation
This study profiles the population of violent juvenile offenders defined under Section 53 of Britain's Children and Young Persons Act of 1933, presents the salient research data from two related studies, and outlines the welfare/justice debate associated with these detainees who are located on a treatment/punishment continuum.
Abstract
One of the studies upon which this book is based examined the custodial experiences of Section 53 offenders and highlighted their developmental needs as they progressed from child care establishments, through young offender institutions, and into the adult prison system. The second study focused on the prevalence of abuse and loss in the lives of Section 53 offenders. Section 53 offenders are children and youth between the ages of 10 and 17 inclusive who commit serious crimes (for example, murder, manslaughter, arson, and rape) and are sentenced to be detained under Section 53 on the grounds that no other available methods of disposition are suitable to reflect the gravity of their crimes. The first chapter shows that child and adolescent murder and violence are not new, since such behavior by children and youth has occurred over the years and has often been dealt with more humanely than the current punitive penological climate would allow. The Section 53 population has remained relatively small and stable over recent decades, but successive legislation, judicial discretion, and retributive, deterrent sentencing policies have widened the net of those placed in the Section 53 category. The second chapter focuses on the most recently studied Section 53 population (Boswell, 1995) and offers a breakdown of its major characteristics and the proceedings that Section 53 youth experience. Other chapters consider the custodial progression of Section 53 youths, the prevalence of abuse and loss in the lives of these offenders, the nature and effectiveness of treatment for these youths, and strategies for change. The author calls for a policy toward violent youth that will take into account the causes of their violent behavior and the options for effective treatment to achieve desired behavioral change, while protecting the public from their dangerous behaviors. 11 tables, a list of cases, a 144-item bibliography, and a subject index