AYJ Monthly Newsletter: April 2021
AYJ
NEWS
Falling Through the Gaps: Young Women’s Justice Project Briefing
The AYJ has published a new briefing, Falling Through the Gaps, in partnership with Agenda, setting out the policy context and key findings of young women’s experiences as they turn 18 and move from the youth to adult justice system, as well as experiencing changes in other kinds of provision, including mental health support, accommodation, reduced safeguarding responses and leaving care.
Drawing on insights from an expert seminar bringing together over 50 professionals from the youth, women and girls’ and criminal justice sectors, research undertaken with girls and young women, and existing literature and data, this briefing paper makes recommendations for researchers, policymakers and those working directly with girls and young women about what needs to change. Read the full briefing here and press release here.
The briefing was also accompanied by four expert reflections from Dez Holmes of Research In Practice, Lesley Tregear of The Association of Youth Offending Team Managers, Ebinehita Iyere of Milk & Honey, and Dr Claire Fitzpatrick of Lancaster University. All blogs can be read here.AYJ engagement:
AYJ members brief Education Select Committee on their Prison Education Inquiry
This month AYJ members met with MP’s from the Education Select Committee to discuss current education arrangements for children in custody, as well as broader issues around education including the 'school to prison pipeline', the links with school exclusions, and the quality of alternative provision. The meeting was a chance to help shape the Committee’s priorities as they continue their inquiry into education in custody over the coming months.AYJ members called to consult IMPRESS Press regulation code review
This month we held a consultation meeting with press regulator IMPRESS as part of the review of their Standards Code and Guidance. We were delighted to facilitate the crucial discussion on the ways in which the media represents and reports on children in contact with the criminal justice system and the damaging impacts this can have, as well as discussing concerns and best practice around how press interact with children and the organisations supporting them.AYJ Members’ Meeting
This month we held our first members’ meeting as the AYJ. We were joined by guest speakers Dr Louise Falshaw, Director of Strategy and Research at HMI Probation, who provided an update on the inspectorate’s plans for thematic inspections and research around youth justice issues. We were also joined by new AYJ members, Oasis and SHiFT, who introduced their work in youth justice and answered questions from members.
AYJ in Conversation with…The Skill Mill
Check out our interview with Andy Peaden, Director at AYJ member The Skill Mill, speaking about the amazing work The Skill Mill is doing up and down the country to support children and young people who have been in trouble with the law to secure employment, improve confidence, and make identity shifts. Read the full piece here.
AYJ
VIEWS
AYJ comment on Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report
AYJ has published a response to the report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (see our last newsletter for a summary and AYJ member responses) and summarised our recent work to address racial injustice in the youth justice system. Commenting on the report, AYJ Director Pippa Goodfellow said:
“Black and minoritised children face cumulative discrimination before, during and after their involvement with the youth justice system. Racial disparity becomes more acute throughout the system, in line with the intensity of intervention. This report has failed to acknowledge these experiences, let alone seek to address them with the urgent call to action that is required.”
AYJ, along with many of our members, have also signed an open letter to the Prime Minister, coordinated by Runnymede Trust, calling for the Prime Minister to reject and withdraw the report.
AYJ engagement on Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
This month AYJ has continued engaging with our members and parliamentarians on the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill. This includes attending a meeting held by Shadow Home Office Minister Sarah Jones, alongside many AYJ members, to discuss provisions in the Bill that create a new statutory duty on agencies to collaborate to prevent and reduce serious violence. We raised concerns about unintended consequences of the duty and interaction with other recent policy developments such as Knife Crime Prevention Orders, and the focus in the proposed legislation on policing and criminal justice agencies rather than safeguarding and children's services. Attendees agreed that the duty must be amended to ensure children's welfare and diversion from the criminal justice system is paramount, and shared concerns about disclosure of information and the duty damaging children's trust in adults, particularly in schools.
The 2019-21 parliamentary session has now come to an end and the Bill has received a carry-over motion to continue its progress in the next parliamentary session, which begins on Tuesday 11th May. Committee Stage of the Bill is expected to begin soon after, in mid-May, concluding by 24th June. AYJ will be publishing a response to the Bill for the Public Bill Committee, expanding on concerns raised in our initial briefing.
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