Overview

Since the early 1990s the number of children and young people remanded to custody has more than doubled and there are no signs of it decreasing. Offending by children is a politically contentious issue, which attracts considerable public concern and controversy. This important new study is the first to focus specifically on the use of foster care for young people on remand as an alternative to custodial and residential accommodation. It challenges negative public and political attitudes towards young people who have been charged with committing an offense, as well as the impact of these attitudes on criminal justice policy. Focusing on a remand fostering scheme in the south of England, the study is based on detailed interviews with young people, exploring their backgrounds, involvement with the criminal justice system, and, in particular, their experiences of remand foster care. These narratives are supplemented by the perspectives of foster carers who provide placements for young people on remand, as well as the views of lay youth court magistrates. The research considers the processes by which young people become involved in offending behaviour, how this behaviour can be exacerbated by involvement with the penal system, and how community interventions such as remand foster care can have a positive impact on a young person's behaviour, self-esteem and sense of identity. The findings of this challenging exploration of what is often a politically contentious issue have implications for politicians, policymakers and professionals working with young people in both the criminal justice and the care systems. It will be of particular interest to academics, students and practitioners, including foster carers, youth offending teams and social workers working in the field of youth justice, substitute care and children's rights.

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9781905664061

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Jo Lipscombe is an independent criminal justice consultant with particular expertise with children and young people, and youth justice. She is an honorary Research Fellow at the School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol.

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