The Treatment of Young Offenders in the Modern Period

How were young offenders treated?

The Victorian attitude to young offenders was harsh. They were viewed as juvenile delinquents and treated the same as adults. By the early 20th century, however, ideas were changing.

How did the treatment of young offenders change?

By the 1900s, attitudes to juvenile crime were shifting away from harsh punishments and towards reform. Many believed that young people could be turned away from a life of crime through positive influences.

What reforms were there for young offenders?

During the 20th century there were 6 key changes to the treatment of young offenders:

• ❖ The first borstal, located in Kent, was set up in 1902 for offenders aged under 18.
• ❖ In 1908, the Prevention of Crime Act created a national system of borstals. Those who designed the new system wanted borstals to emphasise education rather than punishment.
• ❖ In 1932, the first approved schools were set up for offenders under the age of 15.
• ❖ The Criminal Justice Act of 1948 reduced the use of prison for juveniles and led to improvements in the probation service for young people.
• ❖ The Children and Young Persons Acts of 1963 focused on the importance of caring for and protection for young offenders. It also raised the age of criminal responsibility from 8 years old to 10.
• ❖ The Children and Young Persons Acts of 1969 favoured supervision by probation officers and social workers over prison sentences.

What were borstals for young offenders ?

There were 5 main features of borstals:

• ❖ Borstals were prisons for boys only, run rather like strict boarding schools, and existed from 1902 to 1982.
• ❖ The usual sentence was between 6 months and 2 years.
• ❖ Inmates could be released after 6 months if staff felt they were ready.
• ❖ Their purpose was to ensure young convicts were kept entirely separate from older criminals.
• ❖ Around 60% of those released went on to re-offend.

What were approved schools for young offenders?

There are main 3 facts to note about approved schools:

• ❖ Approved schools were rather like borstals and offered training in skills such as bricklaying.
• ❖ There was a great deal of public criticism of them in 1959, following riots and a large number of absconders.
• ❖ Approved schools were gradually closed as a result.

What did the Justice Act of 1948 do for young offenders?

There were 3 key reforms introduced by the 1948 Criminal Justice Act:

• ❖ A graduated system of prison, depending on the seriousness of the crime and the offender's record.
• ❖ Detention centres being introduced as a deterrent for young offenders, with a more relaxed regime than borstals.
• ❖ Attendance centres being used for young people aged 10-21 who had committed minor crimes. They attended daily or weekly compulsory sessions covering basic literacy and numeracy and life skills like money management and making job applications.

Why did reforms for young offenders decline?

In the 1980s, the system for young offenders was restructured in 2 key ways:

• ❖ As reoffending rates were still high and public opinion moved towards harsher punishments, several of the earlier reforms were abandoned.
• ❖ In 1982, the Criminal Justice Act abolished the borstal system and replaced borstals with youth detention centres.

What are youth detention centres for young offenders?

Youth detention centres represented a change in direction for young offenders' institutions in 3 main ways:

• ❖ Youth detention centres were introduced in 1982.
• ❖ They were intended to provide a short, sharp shock to young offenders by enforcing military drill and discipline.
• ❖ However, this tougher stance failed to deter and re-offending rates continued to increase.

How are young offenders treated today?

There are 5 main punishment methods currently available for young offenders:

• ❖ Parents being fined if they cannot keep their child under control, or having the child removed from parents and placed into care.
• ❖ Youth courts that work with agencies such as the police, schools, social workers and probation officers. The emphasis is on preventing the young person from settling into a life of crime.
• ❖ Custody is seen as a last resort. Offenders under 18 can be held in a secure children's home, a secure training centre, or a young offender institution. YOIs operate under many of the same rules as prisons.
• ❖ Attendance centres are the young offender's last chance. If they commit further offences they are locked up in a YOI.
• ❖ Non-custodial methods such as tagging and curfews are used to monitor offenders' movements, and courts can impose certain measures on youngsters, such as counselling.