Criminal justice and New Labour: A personal valediction

Abstract

This comment piece is based on the experience of a Chief Probation Officer, who became a Probation Board Chair, and who had been at the beginning of Youth Justice reforms as well as member of an Independent Inquiry into ‘Alternatives to Custody’ (Coulsfield, 2004) — all during the thirteen years of the Labour Government. Some of the personal factors effecting policy developments are described, followed by some achievements as well as what the author considers critical failures of the New Labour years. In conclusion, the author offers four pieces of advice for the next Administration.