Recently in Youth justice Category

by Clare Jerrom

I'd like to say I'm shocked by the appalling figures produced by the Prison Reform Trust  that three quarters of young people who are placed on remand in a custodial setting are then acquitted of any crime or handed out a community sentence, but sadly these figures are of no great surprise.

 By Derren Hayes

The huge rise in knife crime announced today http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7844455.stm should come as little surprise.

by Keith Hassell

A cutting edge piece of theatre about youth gangs, teenage knife crime, attempted rape and murder is very timely given the spate of killings on our streets in recent months. I was lucky enough to catch it before it ended its London run last week.

by Adam McCulloch

Who says the government doesn’t feel passionate about social care issues? Apparently justice secretary Jack Straw recently threatened to punch education secretary Ed Balls after being spoken to rudely during a discussion about youth justice policy. It is also said the two clashed during talks over the appointment of the Youth Justice Board chair Frances Done.

by Simeon Brody

The government is expected to announce an expansion of the Family Intervention Projects, which will involve children as young as 10 signing "good behaviour contracts" according to the BBC.

by Mike McNabb

If there is one advantage of being in my forties it is that there will not be a buzzing in my ears at the bus stop tonight.

If you are younger, specifically under 25, and standing near me, your ears may detect a high-pitched whine.

by Lauren Revans

I had a definite sense of deja-vu this weekend reading reports about the Institute for Public Policy Research calling for more care to be taken around the issuing of antisocial behaviour orders to children. The think-tank – along with Community Care, children’s charities, the children’s commissioner and others – has been making similar demands for years. But it would seem that all have so far fallen on deaf ears.

by Lauren Revans

A consensus appears to be emerging from Westminster over the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill – namely that there is plenty of room for improvement.

By lumping youth justice together with other aspects of the criminal justice and immigration systems (rather than affording the subject its own dedicated bill as promised), fears of corners being cut and opportunities being missed now appear to be in real danger of being realised.