Youth justice policy is undergoing an important transition from ‘costly criminalisation’ to ‘precautionary risk management’

Peter Squires reviews the recent history of policy making in the field of youth justice, arguing that the Government’s austerity measures have brought with them a long needed end to pervasive over-criminalisation. However while this turn away from ‘costly criminalisation’ is to be welcomed, important questions need to be asked about the strategy of ‘precautionary risk management’ which has replaced it.