General election 2024: AYJ priorities for the next government
With the 2024 general election round the corner, the next government has a critical opportunity to reimagine youth justice. To support children to thrive and stop the costly cycle of harm and offending, priorities for youth justice must include:
A focus on prevention - recognising the complex relationship between vulnerability, victimisation and children’s involvement in crime, prioritising safeguarding and local support over enforcement and punitive action.
A plan to address racial injustice and tackle cumulative discrimination experienced by racially minoritised children before, during and after their contact with the youth justice system.
A strategic vision and ambition to ensure that custody is a last resort and that where it is used children are held in small, welfare based and rights respecting establishments close to their homes.
Leadership and accountability for meeting the needs of all children, including those in, or at risk of involvement in the justice system, through the creation of a Secretary of State for children.