ABSTRACT
The Probation Service has from its inception taken some responsibility for juvenile offenders. But over the years the manner and degree to which offending by children and young people has been dealt with in the criminal justice system has changed and with it the engagement of probation officers. In 1998 the system for dealing with the criminal offences of children and young persons in England and Wales was fundamentally reformed by the Crime and Disorder Act. Multi-agency youth offending teams (YOTs) were established, of which seconded probation officers became a part. Because the Probation Service contributes financially and with personnel to YOTs, this chapter will focus on the current arrangements, the nature of the contribution which probation makes and the connection issues which will arise with the inception of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). These connections are vital because, regrettably, a high proportion of adult offenders supervised by probation officers were first convicted while they were children, that is when they were aged 10–17. If children and young people are to be criminalised – a contentious issue – it is desirable for the adult and youth justice systems to work closely together, to the greatest possible extent ensuring care, consistency and continuity in the transition of young people to adulthood.
