NCJ Number
177652
Date Published
1998
Length
49 pages
Annotation
The conference presentations and workshops focused on the youth justice provisions of the British Crime and Disorder Act and how they can be implemented to prevent juvenile delinquency.
Abstract
The presentation by the Home Secretary outlines the key objectives of the youth provisions of the Act. One of the objectives is to address delays to halve the time from arrest to sentencing for habitual juvenile offenders and increase the pace of justice for all young offenders. A second objective is to confront young offenders with the consequences of their offending and help them to develop a sense of personal responsibility. A third objective is to intervene to address the risk factors associated with offending, including those concerning the family, education, and health. A fourth objective is to administer punishment proportionate to the seriousness and persistence of offending, with a new range of penalties available to the courts. Another objective is to reinforce the responsibilities of parents. The implementation of these objectives was discussed in the workshops. Six general themes were emphasized in the workshops: partnership and multiagency working, early intervention and addressing offending behavior, reparation, parenting, more effective custodial sentences, and a national framework as a context for local action.