Youth Justice - A Way Forward
An agenda for the new UK government...
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Introduction
I’ve spent most of my career, 30+ years of it now, working in or alongside the youth justice system.
It’s a passion of mine to see a system evolve that treats children as children and which offers hope of recovery rather than (more) punishment and injustice.
We have a new government in the UK now and with it a new opportunity to change the system for the better. This recent report by the Alliance for Youth Justice offers an agenda for change that could really help.
This post is a summary of that agenda. To read the full briefing report go here.
Context
In broad terms, the "Setting the Youth Justice Agenda" document serves as a critical guide for the new Labour government, emphasising the need for a more humane, child-centred approach across the board.
It outlines the significant challenges facing vulnerable children, both inside and outside the justice system, and offers a roadmap of reforms focused on safeguarding, diversity-sensitive justice and reducing custodial sentences.
Within that, though, there are some root and branch changes that could really help move the dial for these kids.
Key Themes and Policy Recommendations:
1. Leadership and Accountability
One of the most pressing recommendations is the creation of a dedicated government department responsible for all children, led by a Secretary of State for Children.
Currently, policies for children are fragmented across multiple departments, leading to inconsistencies in responses and treatment. By centralising responsibility under one department, with one minister of state, there can be greater accountability for ensuring child welfare across the range of government agencies.
The briefing also highlights the need for a national children’s rights strategy that prioritises safeguarding over punitive measures. By aligning different branches of government around the welfare and protection of children, it is possible to ensure that those in or at risk of involvement in the justice system are consistently treated as children first and foremost, rather than being criminalised.
💡 KEY RECOMMENDATION: A government department with responsibility for all children, led by a Secretary of State for Children, to oversee a children’s rights strategy
2. Child-Centric Approaches to Justice
The briefing calls for a radical shift towards a "Child First" approach, which views children in contact with the justice system as vulnerable individuals who need support rather than punishment. This approach promotes the importance of keeping children out of the criminal justice system through early intervention, prevention and diversion programmes that offer community-based support.
Such interventions, aimed at addressing underlying social, economic and family vulnerabilities, have been proven more effective at reducing offending than punitive responses. The report stresses that criminal justice contact, particularly custodial sentences, often exacerbates children's vulnerabilities and can lead to a cycle of reoffending. The government is urged to increase resources for community programs that provide safe, supportive environments, helping children to build positive identities and be crime-free.
💡 KEY RECOMMENDATION: A Child First approach to keeping children safe that enables local support for prevention and diversion over punitive action
Read more on what it means to be Child First - here.
3. Addressing Racial Disparities
Racial disparities in youth justice are a significant concern, with Black and racially minoritised children overly represented in the system. This shouldn’t be!
These children are more likely to be arrested, receive harsher sentences and be placed in custody, despite evidence showing that they are also more likely to face vulnerabilities like exclusion from school and criminal exploitation.
The briefing document advocates for a comprehensive racial justice strategy that targets these disparities at every stage of the justice process. This includes better training for professionals in understanding the intersection of race, vulnerability and exploitation, as well as ensuring that support services are culturally sensitive and accessible to all children. The recommendation also includes improving data collection and analysis to hold systems accountable for the disproportionate treatment of racially minoritised children.
Personally, I would’ve expanded this section to include a more just, Child First approach for neurodiverse kids, those with learning disabilities and kids in care - though these do get a mention in this section.
💡 KEY RECOMMENDATION: A clear plan of action to tackle cumulative discrimination and disadvantage before, during and after children’s contact with the system
4. Custody as a Last Resort
One of the most critical calls to action in the document is for the government to develop a long-term strategy to minimise the use of custodial sentences for children. Custody, the AYJ argues, should only be used as a last resort for the most serious offences where no other community-based solutions are viable.
Evidence shows that custodial environments are harmful to kids and rarely lead to good rehabilitation. Most children in custody are vulnerable, with many having experienced care, trauma and mental health challenges - among other things. The briefing highlights the need for small, welfare-based establishments close to home, where children can receive the support they need to reintegrate into their communities.
In Wales, the Youth Justice Blueprint has this local secure provision as an aim.
💡 KEY RECOMMENDATION: A comprehensive, long-term strategy for keeping children out of custody and closing harmful child prisons
And - Multi-Agency Collaboration and Local Partnerships
Another key theme is the importance of strengthening multi-agency collaborations.
Effective youth justice relies on lots of agencies — YOTs (youth offending teams - themselves being multi-agency partnerships), schools, social services, police, the courts, etc.— working together in a coordinated way to provide holistic support to children and families to address their behaviour.
The briefing emphasises the role of local voluntary and community organisations in delivering tailored, flexible support that statutory services cannot always provide. These organisations often have trusted relationships with children and their families, making them well positioned to help prevent offending and reduce the harm caused by justice system involvement.
However, to function effectively, these partnerships need resources. The government is urged to reform funding processes to ensure that voluntary sector organisations can collaborate rather than compete for money.
Practice Recommendations
So what might this mean for those of us working with these kids? How can we begin to move the dial now while the wheels of systemic change grind slowly on? Here are a few thoughts to get you started - as always, not an exhaustive list:
Adopt a “Child First” Approach in Every Contact with the Justice System
Every interaction with children at risk of offending should prioritise their welfare and long-term development. In this sense, every interaction is (or can be) an intervention.
Practitioners should see these children as vulnerable kids in need of our support, not merely offenders or, more likely, as just another kid in the system.
Most of the YJ practitioners I come across already have this value base; where we can improve, I feel, is in being much more informed about how to embed truly child-centred and trauma-responsive interventions into our practice in a system that talks a good show but often falls short in reality.Invest in Early Intervention and Prevention Programs
Early intervention programs, especially those embedded in the community, are essential for preventing children from entering the criminal justice system. Schools, youth workers and social services must work closely together to identify signs of vulnerability—such as truancy, family instability or exploitation—and intervene before a child gets involved in criminal activity. Building these safety nets will require increased government investment and support (again!) for local partnerships.
Reversing the decimation of youth work services would be a great place to start (please take these out of schools and put them back where they belong - in the community!).Focus on Addressing Racial (& other) Inequities
Given the disproportionate impact of the youth justice system on Black and racially minoritised children, practice should strive to build interventions that are culturally sensitive and designed to meet the specific needs of these children. This should include up-to-date anti-racism training for staff, community-specific diversion programs and monitoring outcomes to address systemic bias in each area. The employment of more professionals from minority racial groups would absolutely help, too.
And let’s not forget neurodiverse kids (like me!), those in care and who have learning disabilities… Professional education programmes should include the most up-to-date input for qualifying staff on issues like sexuality and gender diversity, ADHD, autism, sensory impairments, as well as the range of trauma-genic presentations.Promote Diversion Programmes to Keep Children Out of Court
French astronomer & mathematician Adolphe Quetelet wrote the following in 1831:
💡 Among all the causes which have an influence for developing or halting the propensity for crime, the most vigorous is, without contradiction, age.
Ever since, criminologists have urged society to view crime as a feature of societal inequality and age. No matter how good the criminal justice system gets at dealing with kids, the evidence is clear that they do better if kept out of it in the first place.
Diversion programmes that offer alternatives to court proceedings and custodial sentences are more effective at reducing reoffending and fostering rehabilitation-and therefore provide better public protection - in the longer term. Professionals working with young people should prioritise these alternatives, ensuring that children are given opportunities for education, training and restorative justice. Again, increased resources aimed at these interventions would save millions in the longer term, through reductions in community supervision, court processes and custodial costs.Strengthen Multi-Agency Partnerships and Community Involvement
The justice system cannot function well in isolation. Schools, housing services, mental health providers and youth organisations must collaborate to support children holistically. Strengthening partnerships between statutory services and the voluntary sector will ensure that children have access to continuous, tailored support that addresses the complex factors driving their behaviour and provide’s alternatives. Furthermore, ensuring that local community leaders and grassroots organisations are actively involved in prevention strategies can build trust and promote positive outcomes - working together is always better; working together with youth and community organisations to keep kids out of criminal justice, is better still.
Final thoughts
In summary, the briefing urges the incoming government to rethink youth justice, focusing on prevention, safeguarding, and systemic reform to stop the cycle of harm and offending. It calls for child-centred policies that address vulnerabilities, reduce racial disparities and other discrimination, keep children out of custody and, wherever possible, keep them out of criminal justice altogether.
By building stronger partnerships and prioritising child-centred practice and early intervention, these reforms have the potential to create a justice system that truly supports every child’s potential to thrive.
I really hope the new Labour government’s stated willingness to do some hard stuff early in this parliament, will grasp the nettle and make these changes.
The kids need it to happen.
See you in the next one!
More Information
WEBPAGE: ‘Setting the Youth Justice Agenda’ information page with report download link (link)
WEBPAGE: ‘Youth Justice Blueprint’ for Wales (link)
WEBPAGE: Alliance for Youth Justice - (link)
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©️ Jonny Matthew 2024