‘It's Kinda Punishment’: Tandem Logics and Penultimate Power in the Penal Voluntary Sector for Canadian Youth
| Published date | 01 September 2019 |
| Author | ABIGAIL SALOLE |
| Date | 01 September 2019 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/hojo.12332 |
The Howard Journal Vol58 No 3. September 2019 DOI: 10.1111/hojo.12332
ISSN 2059-1098, pp. 298–312
‘It’s Kinda Punishment’: Tandem
Logics and Penultimate Power in the
Penal Voluntary Sector for Canadian
Yo u t h
ABIGAIL SALOLE
Doctoral Candidate, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt, Queensland, Australia;
Professor, School of Community Studies, Sheridan College, Ontario, Canada
Abstract: This article draws on original empirical research in Ontario, Canada which
analyses penal voluntary sector practice with youth in conflict with the law. I illustrate
how youth penal voluntary sector (YPVS) practice operates alongside, or in tandem
with the statutory criminal justice system. I argue that examining the penal voluntary
sector and the statutory criminal justice system simultaneously, or in tandem, provides
fuller understandings of penal voluntary sector inclusionary (and exclusionary) control
practices (Tomczak and Thompson 2019). I introduce the concept of penultimate power,
which demonstrates the ability of penal voluntary sector workers to trigger criminal justice
system response towards a young person in conflict with the law. My novel concepts of
tandem logics and penultimate power are useful for understanding penal voluntary sector
practice, explaining how seemingly contradictory approaches across state and ‘community’
organisations not only coexist, but depend upon the tandem relationship between the penal
voluntary sector and the statutory criminal justice system.
Keywords: penal voluntary sector; punishment; voluntary sector; youth justice
This article provides a global first examination of the youth penal voluntary
sector (YPVS) and a fresh analysis of ‘helping’ penal power. It illustrates
how the penal voluntary sector operates alongside, or in tandem with, the
statutory criminal justice system. I argue that examining the penal volun-
tary sector and the statutory criminal justice system simultaneously,orin
tandem, provides fuller understandings of penal voluntary sector inclu-
sionary (and exclusionary) control practices.1I introduce the concept of
penultimate power, which demonstrates the ability of penal voluntary sec-
tor workers to trigger criminal justice system responses towards a young
person in conflict with the law. My novel concepts of tandem logics and
penultimate power are useful for understanding penal voluntary sector prac-
tice, explaining how seemingly contradictory approaches (for example,
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2019 The Howard League and John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK
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