Recent allegations in the social work press and from the voluntary childcare sector have claimed that youth justice reforms have made little progress.
It would be foolish to rebut these entirely, but they are a serious distortion of the facts. I have never made any secret of my pride in being a member of the Youth Justice Board.
Its work is by far the best example of how re-energised and refocused policy can make a real difference on the ground. It has engaged in a robust debate on finding a meaningful balance between punishment (responsibility), treatment (reintegration) and making good (restoration). It has ensured much greater safety and purpose for young people committed to custody and developed a much more credible and more effective repertoire of sentences in the community.
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