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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 12:29 am
Time: 12:29 am
Results for prosecution of young adults
1 results foundAuthor: Criminal Justice Alliance Title: Prosecuting Young Adults The potential for taking account of maturity at the charge and prosecution stage of the criminal justice system Summary: Within Criminal Justice policy there has been an increasing recognition of the role of maturity as a factor in the commission of crimes, particularly for the young adult group, and there is a new interest in how a more rigorous and effective approach for young adults in the transition to adulthood (aged between 16 and 24) can be delivered. This focus is important for a number of reasons, not least the high numbers of young adults who come into contact with the police and go on to be prosecuted in the courts. Significantly, since 2011 the Sentencing Council for England and Wales has included - Age and/or lack of maturity where it affects the responsibility of the offender - as an express mitigating factor in their sentencing guidelines for adults. In 2013 the Crown Prosecution Service published a new Code, which for the first time explicitly included taking the maturity of an individual into account as part of the "public interest test", alongside other more established factors such as learning difficulties and mental health problems. This development represents a new opportunity for prosecutors to more explicitly and transparently consider the maturity of young adults, as is currently the case within the youth justice system. This research study investigates how the inclusion of the concept of maturity will work in practice, using the expertise of prosecutors to help us to understand how the concept of maturity is currently applied within the youth justice system and what lessons can be learnt to ensure the successful implementation for young adults. This research has found that within the Crown Prosecution Service there is a significant level of expertise in, and experience of, working with issues around maturity, but that in order for the new measure within the code to be implemented in way which ensures both its consistent and correct application a number of further changes are required. We therefore recommend: 1. Training and guidance about maturity should be available to the CPS, Police, and defence lawyers. 2. Protocols should be developed between the Police, CPS and other local agencies for gathering and sharing information. 3. Agencies should strengthen and maximise the use of the Conditional Caution for young adults. 4. There is scope to explore the introduction of problem solving approaches in the Courts, where maturity is identified at the prosecution stage. Details: London: Criminal Justice Alliance, 2013. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 19, 2013 at: http://criminaljusticealliance.org/cps&maturity.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://criminaljusticealliance.org/cps&maturity.pdf Shelf Number: 129653 Keywords: Juvenile Court TransfersProsecution of Young AdultsYoung Adult Offenders (U.K.) |