A History of Youth Justice

This book charts the history of youth justice in England and Wales, from its early distinction from adult justice in the early nineteenth century to the present day, and considers lessons from the past that may be useful for future policy.

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A History of Youth Justice charts the development of juvenile justice in England and Wales from the time of its earliest distinctions from adult justice. It explores the major trends across political generations, contextualised by political pressures, personalities, events and ideologies driving change. The author also details the rise and fall of each innovation, from the prison hulks to boot camps, examining their impetus, implementation and problems.

The book highlights recurring issues in the formation and implementation of interventions with young offenders. It notes the consistencies in hopes and fears from policies, and the repeated problems and mistakes. Furthermore the book relates these patterns to the most recent generation of youth justice interventions – showing how we are still repeating hopes and mistakes from the past.

The author asks how much this history can tell us about ‘what works’ in youth justice provision and what has repeatedly not worked. The book presents a typical model of policy development and uses this to predict the pitfalls in current and future developments. The conclusions challenge policymakers to learn key lessons from the past for the success of youth justice in the future.