Persistent Young Offenders

'The book exposes the vacuity of the populist, punitive obsessions of both media and politicians that currently drive criminal justice policy in England and Wales. In Recommending this book, I urge academics to place it high up on their reading lists, and policy makers to study it and learn from Scotland.' The Howard Journal 'This excellent book's fine-grained and insightful account of the trials and tribulations of two pioneering Scottish youth justice projects deserves to be widely read by scholars, students, policy-makers and practitioners in the UK and far beyond. A fine example of the practical value of realistic evaluation, the book's robustly evidenced central message - that successful youth justice requires much more than the clockwork administration of correctional programmes because the contexts of interventions and the relational style in which they are enacted matter at least as much as their content - simply cannot be repeated often enough at present.' Fergus McNeill, Glasgow University, UK 'David Lobley and David Smith present a thoroughly researched and scholarly - yet accessible and fluent - evaluative account of two projects engaging young people heavily enmeshed in youth justice processes. The core messages are clearly presented and persuasive and they make an important case for developing responsive and respectful relationships with young people. Persistent Young Offenders should be read by all students of criminology and criminal justice together with policy-makers, managers and practitioners working in the youth justice sphere in the UK and beyond.' Barry Goldson, University of Liverpool, UK '... contributes to the understanding of what is needed to work successfully with young offenders.' The Criminal Lawyer 'Persistent Young Offenders strengthens the calls for children's welfare to remain a paramount consideration when considering responses to youth crime. It should be essential reading for academics, students and practitione