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Managing the Behaviour of Children and Young People in the Secure Estate: Code of Practice

NCJ Number
213700
Date Published
2006
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This paper provides an overview of the Code of Practice intended to guide staff who manage the behavior of juveniles sentenced or remanded to custody ("secure estate") in England and Wales.
Abstract
The code is consistent with and encourages the recognition of the rights of children and youth in law and international conventions. The code does not have the force of statute, but rather is intended as guidance for staff interaction with the youth in their care. The 10 elements of the code are based on core principles for managing youths' behavior while in custody. One principle is to focus on positive behavior rather than the punishment of bad behavior. This is done by encouraging and rewarding good behavior. A second principle is that consultation, complaints, and advocacy systems should be in place, in order to give youth in custody a means of venting their frustrations, complaints, and problems in a constructive way. Another principle of the code is that restorative justice is a proven and effective approach with youth. Restorative justice brings together those who have caused harm and those who have been harmed for the purposes of identifying the impact of an incident, deciding how to deal with its aftermath, and contributing to a solution. Underlying the approach of the code is the belief that the most important factor influencing youths' behavior is the quality of the relationships that develop between caring adult staff and those in their care, set within the context of an organizational culture that is child-centered. The implementation of the code will begin immediately, and all custodial institutions are expected to compare their current practices with those recommended in the code. The code itself is presented.