No place for children: A case for the abolition of child imprisonment in England and Wales

Gavin, Paul

Abstract

This paper provides an argument for the abolition of child imprisonment in England and Wales. England and Wales is not Ireland, but the cultural and social similarities suggest that children face a great deal of the same pressures, difficulties, trials and tribulations regardless of which side of the Irish Sea they live on. Therefore, it may provide a useful analogy for Irish policy makers. The paper argues that the incarceration of children has a wide range of negative effects on children and is provided at an excessive cost to the exchequer. Restorative justice is put forward as a viable alternative which is highly cost effective and has yielded positive results in terms of recidivism.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 3, 2014
• Publication Date: Jul 7, 2014
• Deposit Date: Feb 26, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 28, 2022
• Journal: Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 5
• Pages: 37-48
• Series ISSN: 1393-7022
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.21427/D7PX47
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/8222228