Childhood criminal records: Undermining positive developments across youth justice
Welcome developments in youth justice are being undermined by the current childhood criminal records system, strengthening the timely call for a widespread review. Criminal records are so clearly intertwined with a range of further issues in the wider criminal justice system and are actively impeding the efforts of government and civil society to tackle pressing issues like racial disparity and addressing the impact of violence and exploitation.
The Youth Justice Board (YJB) recently published their Business Plan for 2020-2021, setting out their areas of focus. The YJB also intend to define their position on the reformation of childhood criminal records and thereby ‘improving life chances and positive outcomes for children.’ But we are concerned that until the criminal record system is reformed, the YJB’s goals will be hard to achieve.
In this briefing, we consider how the current criminal record system acts as a barrier to the priorities and goals wished to be achieved by the YJB which include a child first approach, custody and resettlement, ‘serious youth violence’, and overrepresented children.
Full Briefing: Childhood criminal records: Undermining positive developments across youth justice *
*Please note, this briefing was published under our previous name of the Standing Committee for Youth Justice (SCYJ)