Advocating abolitionist views in juvenile legal systems: a critical reflection of reformist practices from an abolitionist perspective

Melanie Schorsch, Lisa Tölle and Jan Tölle

Chapter 18 in Research Handbook on Youth Criminology, 2025, pp 324-338 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The widespread imprisonment of children and young people seems to be a global practice supported by both governments and the public, despite the lack of substantial evidence showcasing its effectiveness. Conversely, there is substantial evidence indicating the extent of harm these institutions inflict, as well as the clear over-representation of marginalised groups resulting from a discriminatory system. This chapter will delve into the harms of incarceration on young people and will explore the fundamental role of abolitionism in shaping juvenile legal systems. We will review current reforms that claim to reduce the adverse effects of imprisoning children and young people. However, these reformist practices are embedded in conflicting agendas involving substantial penal expansion and resulting in net-widening. The review of these reforms will reveal their shortcomings in reducing the prison's scope and their detrimental effects on children and young people. We will consider these reformist approaches from an abolitionist perspective.

Keywords: Abolition; Child incarceration; Children; Children's rights; Testing tool; Prison (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035300747
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