ABSTRACT
In this chapter we set out to argue for a new localism in the way we think and act in relation to young people who get into trouble with the law. We do so partly, at least, in response to the many failures of national policy-making in England and Wales over the past 15 years. The discussion that follows concentrates on three related examples of practical, local contribution that can be made to a refreshed youth justice. In order to place these specific proposals in context, however, it is important to begin with a brief statement of a small number of underlying assumptions and principles upon which they are founded.
