NCJ Number
182698
Date Published
1999
Length
44 pages
Annotation
This report summarizes a meeting held in London, England, to discuss juvenile justice in Great Britain, with emphasis on goals and initiatives established in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
Abstract
The law states that the main goal of the juvenile justice system is to prevent offending by children and youth. The central objectives to guide the work of criminal justice agencies in achieving this goal include the swift administration of justice, confronting young offenders with the consequences of their offending and helping them develop a sense of personal responsibility, and interventions that address juvenile delinquency factors. Additional objectives include punishment proportionate to the seriousness and persistence of offending, encouraging reparation to victims by young offenders, and reinforcing the responsibilities of parents. The new infrastructure established under the law included the National Youth Justice Board to provide the national focus and local governments’ youth justice plans and youth offending teams to coordinate the provision of youth justice and carry out functions set out in the youth justice plan. Subsequent passage of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Bill would result in the establishment of new youth offender panels to develop contracts with court-referred youthful offenders regarding their behavior for up to a year. Participants also noted that collaboration and cooperation would be essential to achieve the law’s goals. Examples of initiatives in individual localities and appended figures and list of participants