The materials in this section are published articles, reports, briefings and evaluation analysis that are relevant to youth justice and can support embedding evidence in practice.
Summary: The YJB has produced an evidence summary which highlights what we know about care experienced children in custody in England and Wales, and how we can best support these children to prevent them entering custody. The summary draws on national data from the YJB, Department for Education and Ministry of Justice, as well as…
This report, published in December 2024, provides details of a Child First research project undertaken to gain a greater understanding of what children supervised by youth justice services and held in custody think about their collaboration in youth justice decision-making processes.
Youth justice services in England and Wales vary in their organisational structure. Some remain structurally separate from other teams in the local authority, while others have become more integrated. This research focused on the concept of integration; exploring how youth justice services are currently structured, what “integration” means for to service and case managers, and the advantages and challenges of different approaches.
This research project investigated the use and quality of pre-sentence reports (PSRs) in the youth justice system. The research also explored whether PSRs might contribute to racial disparity in sentencing decisions as identified by previous YJB-funded research. PSRs bring together important information about the child to help inform the court’s sentencing decision.
Summary: A project to support the emotional wellbeing of girls aged 8 – 15yrs old at risk of poor mental health, offending, anti-social behaviour and exploitation. The project was prompted by concerns about girls in Sefton’s youth justice cohort who had poor emotional health and were at risk of committing offences and potentially being at risk exploitation
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An evaluation of the Brent and Newham COVID-19 Over-Represented Children Pathfinder. The Brent and Newham Pathfinder was funded by the Youth Justice Board and aimed to mitigate the increase in Adverse Childhood Experiences as a result of experiencing grief, bereavement, discrimination, victimisation and separation due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns.
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The aim of the CRPS is to offer a programme of support for children following their first community resolution, or they have been identified as being at risk of offending. This is an independent evaluation of the service completed by Rocket Science.
Summary: The Centre for Justice Innovation have published two relevant reports in March 2021 and December 2022 that look at diversion and disparity based on ethnicity.