New Inquiry: Youth Justice

Specifically, the inquiry will explore:

• The targeting of resources, including the ability of youth offending teams and their multi-agency partners to operate effectively in the current economic climate, and early findings from the Youth Justice Pathfinder Initiatives.
• The use and effectiveness of available disposals, including restorative justice and custody as a last resort.
• The role of the youth justice system in diverting at-risk young people away from first-time offending. 
• The evidence base for preventing offending and reducing re-offending and the extent to which this informs interventions in custody and the community. 
• The governance of the youth justice system, including the removal of joint responsibility from the former Department for Children, Schools and Families. 
• The extent to which the system is able to meet the needs of all offenders regardless of age, gender, ethnicity and mental health.

Call for evidence

The Committee issued terms of reference for its earlier work on Youth Justice on 21 July 2011. Any submissions received in response will be used to inform the Committee’s new inquiry; those wishing to submit additional evidence are welcome to do so.

How to respond

Written evidence should be in Word (no later than 2007) or rich text format with as little use of colour or logos as possible, and sent by e-mail to justicecommemo@parliament.uk.

The body of the e-mail must include a contact name, telephone number and postal address. The e-mail should also make clear who the submission is from.

The deadline for submissions is 23 March 2012. Submissions must address the terms of reference.

• Guidance on submitting evidence

• Read the previous Report (PDF)
• Justice Committee
• Visiting Parliament: Watch Committees
• About Parliament: Select Committees