NCJ Number
232802
Journal
Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Dated: December 2010 Pages: 151-169
Date Published
December 2010
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study constitutes a follow-up comparison of criminal recidivism among young males sentenced to prison prior to the introduction of the Youth Custody Act (1991-1998) and young males sentenced to youth custody following the introduction of the Act (1999-2003).
Abstract
In 1999, Sweden introduced a new Act focused on young persons aged 15-17 who commit serious offences. The object of the Act was to replace prison sentences with a new sanction in the form of youth custody, which would involve a placement in a special approved home. The study shows that the sanction has not only been used as a replacement for prison sentences, but has also led to an expansion in custodial sentencing in the form of 'net-widening'. There has also been a substantial increase in the length of custodial sentences awarded in connection with the new sanction. A comparison with the youth sanction in Denmark raises questions about the consequences of having expanded the group of youths sentenced to a custodial sanction in Sweden, and of the increased length of the custodial sentences to which this group is subjected. (Published Abstract)