1998-2008 10 years of youth justice reform
Pre-1998
Legislation and reports
Misspent Youth: Young People and Crime (1996)
This report by the Audit Commission found that crime committed by young people was a major problem that cost £1 billion per year. Identifying that existing processes for dealing with young people who offend were expensive, time-consuming and inefficient, it proposed that:
- court processes be speeded up
- persistent offenders be more closely monitored
- Programmes involving victims and addressing offending behaviour be used as an alternative to the court process
- parenting programmes, structured education for under-fives, support for teachers dealing with badly behaved pupils and positive leisure opportunities be developed and evaluated.
The report also recommended that there should be better information-sharing, and local authorities should lead multi-agency work.
Further Information
Misspent Youth: Young people and crime (PDF)
No More Excuses: A new approach to tackling youth crime in England and Wales (1997)
Addressing the problems identified in Misspent Youth and stating that the youth justice system's aim should be to prevent offending, this White Paper proposed:
- a clear strategy to prevent offending and reoffending
- parents and offenders should take responsibility for, and face up to, offending behaviour
- earlier, more effective intervention when young people first offend
- Final Warnings instead of repeat cautions
- new action plan, Reparation and Parenting Orders
- faster, more efficient procedures from arrest to sentence, and reform of youth court procedures
- a new national network of youth offending teams providing programmes to stop offending behaviour.
Web links:
No More Excuses: A new approach to tackling youth crime in England and Wales
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