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Youth justice in Wales: Thinking beyond the prison bars
Summary
Amidst the current debate surrounding the All Wales Convention and the discussions of national pride, further devolution and even independence that
currently engulf the Senedd; there is a vibrant debate occurring about whether the youth justice portfolio should be devolved to Cardiff.
In the past the Howard League has expressed some reserve about devolving youth custodial budgets to local authorities. The primary reason for this is it will not achieve any positive outcomes without being accompanied by a fundamental review of the use of custody for children. This should not be the case in devolving youth justice policy to Wales, given the Welsh Assembly Government’s commitment to a
rights-based agenda in its approach to all children and young people.
In the event that powers over youth justice are devolved, the focus on the “secure estate” should not obscure the wider discussion that needs to be had about how Welsh children are treated in the youth justice system. Overly focusing on the current woes in the (largely English) secure estate is the wrong way to frame the discussion. There is an opportunity to say clearly that “Welsh children deserve better” and that this pertains to all aspects of how Welsh children in trouble with the law are treated, not simply in the secure estate but also in the community.
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