Youth Justice: Ideas, Policy, Practice

• NCJ Number: 202395
• Author(s): Roger Smith
• Date Published: 2003
• Length: 240 pages
• Sale Source: Willan Publishing
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This comprehensive and critical analysis of the youth justice system in England and Wales focuses on recent changes, notably the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, and assesses their implications for practice.

Abstract

The first chapter assesses the developments of the 1980's, when an ostensibly right-wing and authoritarian government ushered in an unprecedented period of liberal policies for juvenile justice, which included an increased use of diversion that led to a substantial decline in the use of custody and the emergence of a thriving body of "alternative" community programs. By contrast, the 1990's saw youth justice become highly politicized in a swing toward punitive policies marked by an increased use of custody. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 was considered the centerpiece of juvenile justice reform. While touting increased efficiency and effectiveness in juvenile justice, the law has done nothing to address the injustices of discriminatory interventions and the unnecessary use of custody. After this review and assessment of the history of trends in juvenile justice, the book then turns to a consideration of the implications of the New Labour reform program in more detail, focusing on the three levels of policy, delivery systems, and practice. The author argues that increasingly sophisticated forms of control and punishment permeate the entire system, such that more and more youth are consigned to periods of custodial detention that are more criminogenic than rehabilitative. The final section of the book summarizes the author's appraisal of developments in youth justice in order to provide the basis for a more progressive refocusing of policy and practice. Overall, the author argues that juvenile justice should involve a commitment to social justice as well as criminal justice. This means that problem-solving, minimum intervention, and consideration for rights and inclusiveness must have priority over routinized surveillance, monitoring, and control. 284 references and a subject index