Roger Smith

Youth Justice: Ideas, Policy, Practice Roger Smith

Youth crime remains an enduring and growing problem and has been the subject of recent government policy initiatives. This book provides a comprehensive, up-to-date and critical overview of the youth justice system, taking full account of the many changes that have been introduced - in particular the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 in Britain and its subsequent implementation. A major goal of the book is to help youth justice practitioners and others studying youth crime and youth justice to make sense of these changes, to assess their implications for practice, and to understand some of the tensions and complexities that have arisen. The book begins by setting the youth justice system in historical context, and then it assesses the impact of political ideas and influence on both the structural arrangement for delivering youth justice (such as the Youth Justice Board and Youth Offending Teams) and practice initiatives (such as moves to implement forms of restorative justice). Taken together, these present serious challenges to those delivering youth justice. The book goes on to offer a critique of current developments and explores the options open to practitioners and service providers and some of the possibilities for positive intervention. Finally, a detailed agenda for improvement at all levels is set out.