ABSTRACT
As seen in the previous chapter, the advent of the ‘New’ Labour government in May 1997 signalled an increasing recognition of the determination to prevent youth offending. Both the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 place the prevention of youth offending as the principal aim of youth justice law and policy. This chapter will examine the development and impact of the emphasis on youth crime prevention on how youth justice services are delivered. This chapter will also consider whether the emphasis on preventing youth offending conflicts with the need to protect the welfare of all young people, including those young people who engage in offending behaviour.
