youth justice/restorative justice

Question 1

How does the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 link to youth justice?

Answer 1

• new laws for those who are 10-17 years old due to the response to the Jamie Bulgar case and treatment of Thompson and Venables
• victim-centred
• introduced things to reduce reoffending, e.g. referral orders, youth rehab order

Question 2

what is a referral order?

Answer 2

Criminal Court order that lasts between 3 and 12 months from the day the contract is signed, and is given to most young people for a conviction that they have admitted in court

Question 3

what is the link to the CJS?

Answer 3

• a prosecution is less likely to be required if the seriousness and the consequences of the offending can be appropriately dealt with by an out-of-court disposal which the suspect accepts and with which he or she complies
• this is a factor which will always be important in the case of youths who are at an early stage of their offending

Question 4

what is restorative justice?

Answer 4

• an approach to justice that seeks to repair harm by providing an opportunity for those harmed and those who take responsibility for the harm to communicate about the address they need in the aftermath of a crime

Question 5

what are some criticisms of restorative justice?

Answer 5

• criticisms = problematising criminal justice process, restoring community, beyond the bipolarity of welfare and justice

Question 6

what are some criticisms of referral orders?

Answer 6

Criticisms = lack of understanding of language, lack of focus, too many organisations, awareness issue of who the victims are