Adam Crawford

As numerous academic and political commentators have noted, the implications of introducing a victim’s perspective into the delicate balance between state and offender is likely to be a key issue in the future of criminal justice. This book seeks to outline the contours of the relevant debates drawing together contributions from prominent international and national commentators, from areas including criminology, law, philosophy, social policy, politics and sociology.

Two strangers meet in passing and all happens for a reason... Alex Ward's is a man that seems to have it all, a man who works in marketing for corporate America, a beautiful home in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a wife, and a baby on the way. Alex always felt something was missing in his life, but could never quite figure it out. Chris Weber was famous motivational speaker, and a published author who wrote many books about the meaning of life. Chris was a carefree spirit, who lectured groups about what the real meaning of success and in Chris' opinion it was all about loving yourself and not giving a flip about what other's thought about you, to many Chris was seen as a guru. While traveling for work Alex is star struck when he happens to run into Christopher Weber at the Regan Airport, Chris was heading to Los Angeles on the same flight when Alex began to share how Chris' books and lectures have done wonders for him. When Chris and Alex realize their flight has been canceled due to a severe weather the two decide to share a hotel room, Alex begins to explore that long missing feeling he could never quite put his finger on, thanks to his guru savior.

The dispersal order - one of a variety of new powers introduced by the government to help police and local authorities address problems of disorder and incivilities - gives police powers to disperse groups of two or more from designated areas. Yet, controversially, these powers raise concerns regarding infringements of individual rights. This report provides the first in-depth study of the use and impact of dispersal orders. The report draws on extensive sources of data, including interviews with policy-makers and practitioners involved in implementing schemes across the UK; two detailed city-wide reviews; and two in-depth case studies. It explores the manner in which dispersal orders were experienced and interpreted by local adults and youths and considers their implications for local social relations. The authors assess the balance between enforcement and preventive approaches to local problems and the growing salience of public perceptions in policing. They also provide important insights into local best practice and implications for future policy development. This report will be a vital resource for all those interested in developing strategies to enhance community safety or keen to understand the impact of policing reforms. It will be particularly relevant to researchers and students of policing, policy-makers, police, community safety officers, anti-social behaviour practitioners, and those working with young people.

It is a key aim of current youth justice policy to introduce principles of restorative justice and involve victims in responses to crime. This is most evident in the referral order and youth offender panels established by the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999. However, the challenges involved in delivering a form of restorative youth justice that is sensitive to the needs of victims are considerable. This report provides an illuminating evaluation of the manner in which one Youth Offending Service sought to integrate victims into the referral order process. The study affords in-depth insights into the experiences and views of victims and young people who attended youth offender panel meetings. It places these in the context of recent policy debates and principles of restorative justice. The report tracks a 6 month cohort of cases in 2004; provides an analysis of in-depth interviews with victims, young offenders and their parents; highlights the challenges associated with integrating victims into restorative youth justice; offers recommendations with regard to the involvement of victims in referral orders. This timely report will be of great value to youth justice policy-makers and practitioners, researchers and students of criminology and criminal justice, as well as all those interested in restorative interventions and the role of victims in the justice process.

This timely and important report draws together the findings of an extensive two-year study of developments in the provision of visible policing in England and Wales. Exploring the dynamic relations between different public and private providers, it combines an overview of national developments with a detailed analysis of six focused case studies, including two city centres, one out-of-town shopping centre, an industrial park and two residential areas. The report considers the role of community support officers, neighbourhood wardens and private security guards, amongst other plural policing personnel and outlines the policy implications of the research findings, particularly with regard to the Government's current police reform agenda. It also provides important insights and recommendations regarding the organisation, co-ordination and regulation of the future mixed economy of visible security patrols. Plural policing will be of special interest to academics, researchers, policy makers, police and security managers and students of criminology and policing, as well as all those interested in community safety and the changing face of modern policing.

This book provides an empirically grounded, theoretically informed account of recent changes to the youth justice system in England and Wales, focusing on the introduction of elements of restorative justice into the heart of the criminal justice system, and the implementation of referral orders and youth offender panels. Taken together, this amounts to the most radical overhaul of the youth justice system in the last half century, fundamentally changing the underlying values of the system away from an 'exclusionary punitive justice' and towards an 'inclusionary restorative justice'. The book explores the implications of these changes by using the lens of a detailed study of the implementation of referral orders and youth offender panels to explore wider issues about youth justice policy and the integration of restorative justice principles. It draws upon the findings of an in-depth study of the pilots established prior to the national rollout of referral orders in April 2002. The book will be essential reading not only for those involved in the task of implementing the new youth justice, but others with an interest in the criminal justice system and in restorative justice who need to know about the far reaching reforms to the youth justice system and their impact.

This book provides an empirically grounded, theoretically informed account of recent changes to the youth justice system in England and Wales, focusing on the introduction of elements of restorative justice into the heart of the criminal justice system, and the implementation of referral orders and youth offender panels. Taken together, this amounts to the most radical overhaul of the youth justice system in the last half century, fundamentally changing the underlying values of the system away from an 'exclusionary punitive justice' and towards an 'inclusionary restorative justice'. The book explores the implications of these changes by using the lens of a detailed study of the implementation of referral orders and youth offender panels to explore wider issues about youth justice policy and the integration of restorative justice principles. It draws upon the findings of an in-depth study of the pilots established prior to the national rollout of referral orders in April 2002. The book will be essential reading not only for those involved in the task of implementing the new youth justice, but others with an interest in the criminal justice system and in restorative justice who need to know about the far reaching reforms to the youth justice system and their impact.

As numerous academic and political commentators have noted, the implications of introducing a victim’s perspective into the delicate balance between state and offender is likely to be a key issue in the future of criminal justice. This book seeks to outline the contours of the relevant debates drawing together contributions from prominent international and national commentators, from areas including criminology, law, philosophy, social policy, politics and sociology.

The book considers recent trends in the local governance of crime. It examines the growing appeal to `community' and `partnerships' in criminal justice policy and the involvement of actual communities and partnerships in criminal justice practices. The book makes sense of ongoing transformations in the relations between the state, market, and civil society in the governance of crime and personal safety. It draws upon the findings of two empirical research projects, conducted by the author, in the fields of community-based crime prevention and local victim-offender and community mediation. The overall aim of the book is to answer, both theoretically and empirically, a number of interrelated questions, namely: How do we make sense of appeals to `community' and `partnerships' in criminal justice policy? What are the implications of actual involvement of `communities' and the establishment of inter-organizational `partnerships' in crime control initiatives? Is crime control an appropriate vehicle around which to (re)organize communities? Finally, if so, what sort of communities are we generating through such a focus?