youth courts

The link between social breakdown and crime is well established. In the CSJ’s seminal report Breakthrough Britain, five common drivers of poverty and social breakdown were identified – educational failure, family breakdown, addiction, worklessness and economic dependency, and debt.

In February 2010, the CSJ launched a review of the youth justice system to identify how it might be reformed to improve outcomes for young people, victims and society.

Report on a time-critical aspect of the system: the proposed abolition of the Youth Justice Board (YJB). Its inclusion in the Public Bodies Bill is currently the subject of ‘ping pong’ between the two Houses.

The focus of the thematic review was on those aspects of casework which are unique to youth offenders or are particularly problematic.

These included:
• the quality of youth offender charging decisions including pre-court disposals
• the application of the ‘grave crime’ provisions and other related provisions under S51 Crime and Disorder Act 1998 as amended
• the quality of remand applications in respect of youth offenders
• the role of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in preventing offending.

Review that was launched in 2010 by the Minister of Justice, David Ford, in furtherance of the Hillsborough Castle Agreement. Undertaken by an independent team of three people, its terms of reference were to critically assess the current arrangements for responding to youth crime and make recommendations for how these might be improved within the wider context of, among other things, international obligations, best practice and financially uncertain future.

Briefing paper which revisits the recommendations and identifies progress made on 'Measuring up'. It also highlights where further action is needed.

It is based on discussions at two seminars held in June and September 2010 and a review of current criminal justice business plans and ‘Big Society’ policy pronouncements. The seminars were attended by senior members of the judiciary, legal profession and civil service.

This review assesses the Youth Courts’ impact on reoffending rates, with regard to the impact on the Youth Courts of the recent reforms of summary justice. The current administration announced in January 2008 that a decision would be made about any further Youth Courts in the light of this review.

Paper examining the changing trends in the U.S. youth justice system since the end of the nineteenth century and arguing that a new model should be constructed for the 21st century based on the concept of placing young offenders in an intermediate category, separate from children and adults.

In 1998 Labour made significant reforms to the youth justice system. A decade later these have failed to reduce offending. This report proposes ways in which the youth justice system could reduce offending, as well as ways of creating public confidence in the system. Contents include: why we need a new approach to youth justice; a tale of two targets - why a new approach is needed; objectives, barriers to, and new principles of youth justice; can a new direction be preventative?; will the public support popular preventionism?

Document providing guidance for agencies such as schools, police, anti-social behaviour teams, residential child care and social work on the principles, protocols and criteria for the use of restorative justice services in Scotland for children and young people and those harmed by their behaviour.

Document intended to provide guidance for practitioners on the principles and best practice for restorative justice services in the Children's Hearings system in Scotland with the aim of ensuring consistency and quality in these services.