Save Money, Protect Society and Realise Youth Potential: Improving Youth Justice Systems During a Time of Economic Crisis

This ECJJ white paper outlines the dire situation that youth justice in many countries has been reduced to in the last five years. EU countries are currently facing many problems in terms of austerity measures and financial cut-backs, which are directly impacting vulnerable families, and particularly vulnerable children. However, after over 30 years of recommendations from the Council of Europe setting out good 12 practice, this paper challenges readers to finally take stock of what is happening in youth justice and decide once and for all to improve it. It further asserts that we should directly follow the European Commission in its statement that European countries should ‘tackle child poverty and social exclusion through integrated strategies that go beyond ensuring children’s material security and promote equal opportunities so that all children can realise their full potential’. This paper aims to show how to successfully work towards the common goal of stopping children offending in times of both prosperity and austerity.