Resettlement after prisons: What the Government needs to know for the new youth custody Bill

Hazel, N; Bateman, T

Abstract

The Ministry of Justice in England and Wales is currently developing new legislation on youth custody, amid concerns of a high and rising rate of reoffending for those on this type of disposal. Initially billed as “putting education at the heart of detention”, it is becoming clearer that changes will have a particular focus on how best to ensure effective resettlement after release.

This paper explores what lessons the government should heed from criminological research when planning the legislation. It examines the key policy messages from studies conducted on youth custody and resettlement since 1997. What factors are significantly associated with better outcomes for young people? What policy and practice changes does the research suggest are crucial for ‘successful’ resettlement? The paper reveals a number of important lessons for the overall organisation of custody, how to ensure a smooth transition at release, and how the multiple needs of young offenders can be addressed during the licence period. It concludes by suggesting key questions that remain unanswered as the Bill is drafted. Finally, the paper introduces a new five-year lottery funded project looking at these questions - Beyond Youth Custody.

Citation

Hazel, N., & Bateman, T. (2013, July). Resettlement after prisons: What the Government needs to know for the new youth custody Bill. Presented at British Society of Criminology Conference, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK

• Presentation Conference Type: Other
• Conference Name: British Society of Criminology Conference
• Conference Location: University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK
• Start Date: Jul 1, 2013
• Deposit Date: Sep 23, 2013
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 23, 2013
• Keywords: Resettlement, custody, prison, imprisonment, youth justice, young offenders, after care, crime, prison
• Publisher URL: http://www.beyondyouthcustody.net/
• Related Public URLs: http://www.beyondyouthcustody.net/wp-content/uploads/BYC-literature-review-Jul-13.pdf
• Additional Information: Event Type : Conference; Projects : HURA13