NCJ Number
217155
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 47 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2007 Pages: 2-22
Date Published
January 2007
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This study examined attitudes towards crime by young people and towards the treatment of young offenders in Russia.
Abstract
Study findings suggest that the adult Russian population strongly favors welfare rather than a punitive approach to young offenders. The Russian public appears to be more forgiving of its children’s behavior than those in North America or England and Wales. It was suggested that both prevailing paternalistic attitudes towards children strong in Russia, and the welfare ideology inherited from the Soviet period play their part in the sentencing of young offenders. Since the 1980s, the countries in North America, followed by the countries of England, Wales, as well as to some extent Holland have moved away from the “welfare” approach which dominated policy toward young offenders for most of the 20th century. However, in contrast, Russia’s sentencing policy towards the young has softened in recent years. Legislative proposals have been presented to make the criminal justice system in relation to young offenders more welfare-oriented. This comparative Russian study examined attitudes to youth crime and sentencing. Tables, references and appendixes A-C