Understanding the costs of youth justice
Even if you’re neither victim nor perpetrator, the costs of youth justice affect us all. Debbie Nolan and Charlotte Morris report back from CYCJ’s recent event on why children who offend are often those most offended against, and the importance of never giving up. CYCJ is now in its fourth year of participating in Engage […]
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New technologies – are you up to speed?
After attending a UK Safer Internet training session, Pamela Morrison realised that when it comes to the internet and young people, what you think you know is only the tip of the iceberg… I have always considered myself as relatively “up to speed” with new technologies including social media forums. I have had social media platforms […]
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Crime and ‘Kidulthood’
In the first of a two parter blog, Shona Craven of the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR) reports back on the CYCJ and SCCJR seminar: ‘The Price of Prejudice: when attitudes shape policy’. It has long been argued that young people should be treated differently from adults in by the justice system. […]
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The journey of an Electronic Monitoring Champion
Following her own experiences of being ‘tagged’, Donna McEwan shares her reflections as an Electronic Monitoring Champion, and what difference she thinks Movement Restriction Conditions can really make to a young person, their families and communities. Writing this blog, I found myself conflicted. I am now a fully-fledged Electronic Monitoring (EM) champion…but what does that mean and […]
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Believing in second chances
Should having a criminal record mean you end up ‘doing the time’ even after you’re released from prison? Against the context of CYCJ’s work placements with the Scottish Prison Service, Nina Vaswani argues why giving someone a second chance in life – especially if their offence was committed as a child or young person – […]
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Shame – a prisoner’s response
As part of his placement from HMP Greenock with CYCJ, ‘Paul’ wrote a paper exploring the influence of shame within the criminal justice system. In this powerful blog, he responds to the issues raised from the perspective of his own experiences. I find myself in a quandary with regard to the detrimental issues and effects of shame […]
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Becoming ‘a nest of unfearties’
As the Children’s Parliament calls for ‘unfearties’, Claire Lightowler reflects on what it means to be brave when working to create a brighter future for Scotland’s children and young people. ‘A nest of unfearties’. Those of you who know that phrase will recall it within Edwin Morgan’s poem articulating his hopes and ambition for the Scottish Parliament […]
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The story behind the figures
Since 2015, we’ve been keeping you informed of the number of young people in secure care and custody. But what are the figures telling us? Debbie Nolan reports back. Unsurprisingly there has been long-standing interest in the number of young people in custody and secure care, and trends in the number of young people held […]
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In the public interest?
Is there ever a good reason to disclose the identity of a young person responsible for a serious crime against another child? In the aftermath of the death of Katie Rough, CYCJ Associate David Orr considers why choosing the best course of action when confronted by such emotive scenarios is never straightforward. The circumstances surrounding the tragic […]
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