Youth Justice and Social Inclusion

Abstract

In this article three phases of youth justice policy and practice in England and Wales are considered and the attempt is made to draw out implications for other jurisdictions. The first two phases are broadly the 1980s, a period characterised by minimal intervention, and the 1990s a period in which a hardening of criminal justice rhetoric and policy was evident (or to be a little more precise 1982-1991 and 1992 through to present times). Attaching dates to the third phase is much more speculative but by mid-2002 there were indications that it may have been in embryonic form. To the extent that Phase Three is in the making, its contours and substance of course remain matters of choice by policy-makers and practitioners, but there are some indications that an emphasis on social inclusion promises a more progressive set of policy and practice responses for youth justice.