Custodial Control or Community Alternative?: An Examination of the Impact of the 1982 Criminal Justice Act In One Local Authority

Abstract

State intervention with children and young people in conflict with the law is determined at a local level in England and Wales. While the state lays down legislation which provides a framework for sentencing juvenile offenders, the interaction among agencies involved in local juvenile justice systems determines the day to day practice of controlling young people in trouble with the law. Research into one local juvenile justice system examined the cases of all juveniles sentenced to custody or community alternatives from 1983 through 1988. The research raises issues around methodology, race, criteria for custody, social inquiry reports and agency policy towards juvenile offenders and illustrates a research approach which brings researchers, policy makers, and practitioners together in a productive alliance.