A review of the reformed youth justice system: Youth justice 2004

Source: (2004) Criminal Justice National report. London, UK: Audit Commission. Downloaded 28 January 2005.

The Audit Commission is an independent agency responsible for ensuring that public money is spent economically, efficiently, and effectively to provide high-quality local and national services for the public in the areas of local government, housing, health, and criminal justice. This document was published by the Audit Commission in 2004 for local authorities and the National Health Service in England & Wales. The report reviews the youth justice system in England & Wales following a relatively recent and radical overhaul of it. This reform stems from earlier reviews of youth justice in England and Wales by the Audit Commission, as well as from legislative changes made nationally in the youth justice system in the latter half of the 1990s, in particular the creation of a national Youth Justice Board and of multi-agency Youth Offending Teams. This 2004 review of the reforms looks at the current state of youth crime in England and Wales, systems for bringing young people to justice, management of Youth Offending Teams, and delivery of services to prevent and reduce youth offending. A number of appendices cover legislative reform of the youth justice system, Youth Justice Board targets for Youth Offending Teams, research methodology, community and custodial sentences, statistical analysis, and a glossary and references.