Howard League – Re-imagining youth justice conference

2nd April 2014

Post YOT youth justice

Kathryn Brooks & Ben ByrneSurrey Youth Support Service

Almost every set of bad outcomes lends itself to two contrasting approaches: one that calls on individuals to adapt and one that demands changes in the environmentBarry 2005

Children’s rights, child development and international standards

Responding informally and dampening down the system

Re-balancing the ‘responsibilising’ agenda

Relationships over referrals and resilience over risk

Inclusion, integration and participation

Restorative practice and the victim of youth crime

“youthful behaviour … that does not conform to overall social norms and values is often part of the … growth

process and tends to disappear spontaneously … with the transition to

adulthood” Riyadah guidelines (1990)

Retribution or resolution

If there are two young people, with equal propensity to do wrong, and one is arrested and the other not, the one who is drawn into the criminal justice system will continue longer and harder with a criminal career.

Little & Sodha (2012)

“We are afraid to risk using simply ourown warmth and caring, and as a resultthe thousands of therapy techniqueswhich are becoming increasingly popularare intended to conceal rather thanreveal.”

Brandon 1982

There is as yet no model that is a proven alternative to the large multi-disciplinary teams that operate in most YOTs, however active consideration needs to be given to the development of alternative approaches

Keith Ibbetson 2013

Youth disposal distributionand the impact of youth restorative

interventions (YRIs)

13/14 (predicted)

12/13

11/12

10/11

09/10

08/09

07/08

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000

Charge/SummonsCautionTICFPNInformal Resolution

Beyond the YOT approach – the YSS

An integrated, non-discrete service for young people who offend

Restorative diversion

Participation services not an offending service

What Next for Youth Justice?