Evaluation of the Introduction and Operation of the Youth Court

• NCJ Number: 161795
• Author(s): D O'Mahony; K Haines
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 78 pages
• Sale Source: Great Britain Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom
• Note: Home Office Research Study 152

Annotation

This report examines in detail how approximately 2,000 individuals were sentenced in six local area courts before and after the introduction of youth courts in England, in response to the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) of 1991.

Abstract

One of the major changes resulting from the CJA was the inclusion of 17-year-olds in the jurisdiction of youth courts. This caused a considerable increase in the total number of cases dealt with in comparison to juvenile courts. Offender and offense data were used to compare sentencing trends, and a national sample of individuals sentenced was compared to local data. Overall, courts and service providers coped very well with the large increase in cases, particularly by avoiding long delays in the court process and increased adjournments. Case types in youth courts did not appear to be substantially different from those in juvenile courts in terms of offending, but several differences were observed with respect to sentencing. There was an increase in the use of more high-tariff sentences, such as custody, and a drop in the use of low-tariff options, such as fines and conditional discharges. When offense seriousness was taken into account, fewer differences were observed in sentence types imposed before and after the introduction of youth courts. With youth courts, certain sentencing options were extended to give courts a wider range of disposals that could be applied to account for the individual offender's relative maturity. Accounting for sentencing differences while controlling for important factors such as offending, previous convictions, and age, a slight increase was found in the use of more severe sentences such as custody, and some community sentences in the youth court period. Sentencing patterns in youth courts, especially for those 17 years of age and older in local courts, seemed to be affected by the inclusion in youth courts of a number of cases previously sent to the Crown Court. The study found evidence of an increase in the use of remands in custody since the introduction of youth courts and noted difficulties arising from the fact that 17-year-olds continued to be treated as adults at the remand stage. Additional information on the study methodology and supporting data are appended. 19 references and 34 tables