NCJ Number
105832
Date Published
1986
Length
34 pages
Annotation
Following a general review of the juvenile justice systems of England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, this paper considers the content of legislation bearing upon the incarceration of juveniles convicted of offenses.
Abstract
Major juvenile legislation in the Republic of Ireland is the 1908 Children Act as amended by the 1941 Children Act, and in Northern Ireland the major legislation is the 1968 Children and Young Persons Act. Scotland's juvenile justice system is under the 1968 Social Work Act, and England and Wales are under the 1933 Children and Young Persons Act and 1969 Children and Young Persons Act as amended by the 1982 Criminal Justice Act. The legislation in the four jurisdictions specifies the ages of 'child' and 'young person' over which the juvenile courts have jurisdiction and custodial dispositions available to the courts. This paper indicates the types of custodial facilities in each jurisdiction, the officials who determine custodial dispositions, and the number of juveniles given various types of custodial sentences in specified years. 8 references, 2 figures, and 4 tables.