Criminal Court Sentencing: The Case for Specialist ‘Young Adult’ Courts

Jennifer Ward and Ruth Spence

The British Journal of Criminology, 2023, vol. 63, issue 4, 1041-1057

Abstract: Treating young adults (18–25 year olds) as a distinct group within the criminal justice system is receiving growing support. This article asks three specific questions. Should specialist young adult courts be introduced so that young age and developing maturity are considered with more consistency across court sentencing; should social background factors be taken into account when appraising culpability and have the 2019 ‘sentencing guidelines’ that give judicial direction for sentence mitigation gone far enough? The article argues significant gains in sentencing policy have been made, but a specialist young adult court model would ensure a dedicated response to this age group and would foster a shared courts working culture that pursues the common goals of rehabilitation and social pedagogic interventions.

Keywords: young adults; criminal courts; sentencing; social justice; maturity; sentencing guidelines (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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