The enactment of the Young Offenders Act followed years of experimentation with various models of police cautioning and diversion. The Act is unique in its focus on community, victim and family participation; the limits it places on the exercise of police discretion; and the provisions made for children’s access to legal advice. The reform is also exceptional in that it was implemented through an unusual mixture of cross-government and community co-operation. As an innovative social experiment, policymakers and researchers will watch the impact of the Act both nationally and internationally.
Reshaping Juvenile Justice brings together the most up-to-date research evidence and analysis of the Young Offenders Act. It details the history of the Act’s development and implementation. It describes the working of the Act and evaluates its effectiveness and impact on young offenders, victims, and juvenile crime. In discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the Act and in identifying the critical success factors and barriers to implementation, the monograph lays the groundwork for future debates on juvenile justice in Australia.
Published by the Institute of Criminology, Sydney.
Table of Contents
Introduction - Janet Chan
CHAPTER 1: Development of the Young Offenders Act - Jenny Bargen, Garner Clancey and Janet Chan
CHAPTER 2: Implementation of the Young Offenders Act - Janet Chan
CHAPTER 3: The Operation of Warnings, Cautions and Young Justice Conferences - Garner Clancey, Sally Doran and Elizabeth Maloney
CHAPTER 4: Participants’ View of Youth Justice Conferencing - Lily Trimboli
CHAPTER 5: Stories from the Field - Jenny Bargen
CHAPTER 6: Restorative Justice in Action - Jane Bolitho
CHAPTER 7: Comparing Reoffending - Garth Luke and Bronwyn Lind
CHAPTER 8: Impact of the Young Offenders Act - Janet Chan and Garth Luke
CHAPTER 9: Conclusion: Reshaping Juvenile Justice - Janet Chan
Notes
References
Index