Introduction of Referral Orders into the Youth Justice System: Final Report

• NCJ Number: 195068
• Author(s): Tim Newburn; Adam Crawford; Rod Earle; Shelagh Goldie; Chris Hale; Angela Hallam; Guy Masters; Ann Netten; Robin Sanders; Karen Sharpe; Steve Uglow
• Date Published: 2002
• Length: 86 pages
• Sale Source: Great Britain Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom
• Note: Home Office Research Study 242

Annotation

This report discusses the 18 month evaluation that was conducted in 11 piolet areas in England and Wales, between March 2000 and August 2001, of the referral order program for 10 to 17 year old first-time offenders. Attitudes of the agencies and individuals involved on the community panels, and the process of set up of the referral order teams, and the nature of the work involved were studied.

Abstract

This report discusses referral orders, developed with input from individual first-offender youth and a community panel, which are intended to prevent future re-offending by establishing a program of behavior, fashioned with restorative justice principles built into the process. It was found in this study that because evaluation of the referral order pilots occurred in concert with the management of the process and the production of good practice guides, plus official guidance, the findings of the two previous interim reports were able to be enacted upon in a timely fashion and positively influenced the guidance and training provided by the Home Office. The report showed that development of the referral order good practice had progressed sequentially with the input from the evaluation team being essential at each stage of development. Tables, appendixes, figures, and references