Thanks to the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies for some news of the following reports:
The reality behind the ‘knife crime’ debate
This report, by the Institute of Race Relations looks at knife crime, to provide a factual response to the ‘moral panic’ created by the media. The report claims that the media relies on ‘snapshots’ of young people carrying knives, which are based on a very small minority. The full report can be viewed here.
Women and Justice- Seeing Double: Realising Rights
This report looks at the problems faced by women of ethnic minorities in the prison system. It highlights the racial and sexual discrimination that they face and suggests some ways in which the situation can be improved by criminal justice authorities. The full report can be viewed here.
Probation Resources, Staffing and Workloads 2001-2008
The Centre published this report initially in April 2008. Its aim was to examine changes in probation service budgets, caseloads and workloads throughout the period 1997-2007. In this revised edition we have amended and clarified data in the report using new information available since spring 2008. The report can be found here.
Coercion and punishment of young people counter-productive
This second briefing paper in a series of three exploring the policy challenges affecting young adults in trouble with the law was published on Friday 26 February. Written by James McGuire, Professor of Forensic Clinical Psychology at the University of Liverpool, and one of the most cited experts in the field, ‘Comparing coercive and non-coercive interventions – Transition to adulthood’ argues that ‘the expectation that the problem of offending by young people can be solved by coercion and control is essentially illusory’ and that ‘if one steps back and examines the available evidence dispassionately, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the policy of resorting to coercive methods is in large measure counter-productive.’ The paper can be read in full here.
