The Youth Justice System’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The study, in partnership with the Alliance for Youth Justice (AYJ), aims to understand the unprecedented implications that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the youth justice system and the vulnerable children it works with.

Although COVID-19 will have a societal effect on all young people, a disproportionate number of children in the youth justice system have complex needs, are from BAME backgrounds, have been excluded from school and have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences. So, it is expected that the impacts of COVID-19 are likely to be worse for these groups.

The research team will explore the impact of COVID on justice-involved children’s service provision, education, employment and wellbeing, how professionals have had to adapt to remote working, the effect of the delay of criminal trials and the safety of children in custodial settings. The research will involve interviews and surveys of statutory partners, third sector organisations, senior national policy/decision-makers, and children with lived experiences.

Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of the UK Research and Innovation’s rapid response to COVID-19, findings and recommendations from the 18-month project will be shared widely with practitioners and decision-makers to shape policy and practice.

Contact
For more information, contact Professor Hannah Smithson: H.L.Smithson@mmu.ac.uk.