Worth a better future
The positively acclaimed STV Appeal ‘Who Cares’ documentary, about what it’s really like to be a looked after young person in Scotland, aired on September 20. Charlotte Morris recalls the stories behind the statistics, and how these can help us create a better future for every child. Imagine being moved – without any warning – to an entirely new place. You […]
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Improving support for learning disabilities in the criminal justice system
After attending the SOLD Network conference on improving support for accused people with learning disabilities, Brian McClafferty considers how Scotland can lead the way in how we support not only vulnerable witnesses but also vulnerable accused. On August 24 I had the pleasure of attending the ‘Improving Support for the Accused Person with a Learning […]
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The journey towards young adult courts
In our first CYCJ Associate blog, Max Rutherford, Criminal Justice Programme Manager with the Barrow Cadbury Trust, discusses the importance of young adult courts and what the Trust’s Transition to Adulthood campaign is doing to make this happen. For ten years, the Barrow Cadbury Trust has supported more than 40 research, demonstration and policy projects focused […]
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Reflections on the Scottish Youth Justice system
Jackie Anders, Student Engagement Manager with Melbourne’s Children Court, Australia, visited Scotland as part of her Churchill Fellowship travels. Here she discusses how the Australian youth justice system could benefit from Scotland’s community based approach. In May and June (2016) I had the wonderful privilege of travelling to the US, Scotland and Denmark as part of a Churchill Fellowship. The purpose of my study […]
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Victims of Youth Crime – recognising the harm
In our first guest post from the National Youth Justice Conference 2016, workshop leader Michael Salkow of Victim Support Scotland explains why recognising harm is so important for victims. At the National Youth Justice Conference in June I had the opportunity to deliver workshops on Victims of Youth crime – recognising the harm. The workshop addressed […]
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Lost boy found
Doubting Thomas, the play that tells the story of Thomas ‘Tosh’ McCrudden, has been the talk of the Edinburgh Fringe. Pamela Morrison went on a journey with this ‘lost boy’ to experience a powerful tale of reintegration, responsibility and redemption. As a new member of the CYCJ practice team I am keen to get out and about and learn […]
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Why Scotland can improve outcomes for New Zealand’s children in care
Following his recent visit to Scotland, Ken McIntosh, Principal of New Zealand’s Central Regional Health School, was so inspired by the Scottish system and our services for young people that he wrote a guest blog for CYCJ. Recently I had the pleasure of spending time with Claire Lightowler and her colleagues at the Centre of […]
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Learning from the Children’s Hearing System
What can youth proceedings in England and Wales learn from the Scottish Children’s Hearings System? In our latest guest blog, staff from the Centre for Justice Innovation, a UK justice research and development charity, reflect on a recent study visit facilitated by CYCJ. In England and Wales, as in much of the Western world, the […]
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The Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility – A Real Opportunity
Debating the minimum of age responsibility isn’t just about stating the obvious. Debbie Nolan looks at the more subtle opportunities accompanying this discussion. You may have come to this blog thinking it is pretty obvious that the chance to discuss, debate, consult on, and potentially raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) is a […]
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