Appeals Strategy Needed
| DOI | 10.1177/026455059304000322 |
| Date | 01 October 1993 |
| Published date | 01 October 1993 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
regionally and nationally to discuss
issues, form policies, campaign for
LETTERS
changes in legislation and draw up
guidelines for good practice. Perhaps by
starting with the 18-20 age range, a
practitioner organisation addressing the
young adult offender could be set up,
Appeals Strategy Needed
along similar lines to the successful
Association for Juvenile Justice (now
One strategy used by juvenile justice
Youth Justice). One of the early tasks of
workers to reduce the use of custodial
such an organisation would be to plan an
sentencing of young people under the
appeal strategy throughout the Probation
Criminal Justice Act 1982 was to
Service.
encourage young defendants to appeal
against what seemed to be inappropriate
Chris Stanley
custodial sentences. In Kent, for instance,
Policy Development Officer, NACRO
between May 1984 and October 1987, 41
out of 234 custodial sentences imposed
Deep Things of the Soul
by juvenile courts were appealed, 36
(86%) resulting in a lower sentence. An
The response to my personal account of
appeals strategy, involving the briefing of
Hillsborough (PJ March 1993) has been
defence solicitors, parents and juveniles,
illuminating. I cannot previously recall
cannot be left to individual practitioners
receiving such a positive and widespread
but needs the support and authority of
reaction from a cross-section of the
agency policy.
Probation community around the country.
It was noteworthy that young
Some of the responses have been in
offenders appearing in the adult courts
writing but most have been by personal
were not subjected to the same rigorous
contact either over the telephone or when
application of the criteria restricting
I have met people in various locations.
custody and that very few Probation
Interestingly, the responses have ranged
Areas had a clear...
To continue reading
Request your trial