(p.172). If future researchers on desistance takes these steps, in Healy’s study they have awonderful resource on which they can build.

BARRY VAUGHANPolicy Analyst,National Economic and Social Council,Dublin,Ireland.

Youth Justice, Policy and Practice in Health and Social Care Series, No. 9 M. Burman andJ. Johnstone (Eds.). Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press (2010) 112pp. d14.50pbIBSN 978-1-903765-91-3

With its specific focus on the Scottish youth justice system, Youth Justice stands out in thecrowded landscape of youth offending literature. Youth Justice provides a historicalaccount of the development of youth justice in Scotland detailing the welfaristKilbrandon ethos and its ongoing influence on the Children’s Hearing System whilsthighlighting the greater congruence experienced post-devolution between Scotland andits more punitive English neighbours. The seven chapters detail the extent of youthcrime, the youth justice process (including a detailed chapter outlining the Children’sHearing System) and sentencing outcomes in Scotland. The authors challenge theincreasingly punitive approach to youth offending in Scotland and the shift away fromwelfarism at a time when the evidence – of which a critical account is given in Chapter 4 –suggests youth offending is decreasing. Throughout, the ideological conflict in thesystem which continues to promote the welfarist values of Kilbrandon whilst increasinglyadopting a risk-focused approach (favouring early intervention and strategies to addresspersistent offending) is highlighted. It is suggested that the election of the SNPgovernment in 2007 provides a watershed for youth justice in Scotland, and a break withNew Labour’s punitiveness, a nationalist government having a far greater politicalinterest in promoting a positive image of Scottish young people.

Chapters examining post-devolution policy developments and research evidence andthe influence of New Labour’s anti-social behaviour agenda in Scotland resonate beyondthe youth justice context, raising questions as to the extent to which, despite the ‘whatworks’ rhetoric, criminal justice policy can be said to be evidence-led. Youth Justiceprovides an easily-digestible, yet comprehensive and critical, overview of the youthoffending and youth justice practice and policy in Scotland, which would be of use tostudents, academics and practitioners, both within, and outside, the Scottish context.

SARA MCMANUSDoctoral Researcher,School of Law,University of Sheffield.

Youth Justice Handbook: Theory, Policy and Practice W. Taylor, R. Earle and R. Hester(Eds.). Cullompton: Willan (2010) 266pp. d58.00hb ISBN 978-1-84392-717-4d22.99pb ISBN 978-1-84392-716-7

The Youth Justice Handbook: Theory, Policy and Practice provides an excellent overview ofkey themes and issues surrounding effective practice in youth justice. The aim of thehandbook is to encourage a critical interrogation of the ideas that underpin practice,whilst providing a descriptive account of current practice and suggesting alternative

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strategies where appropriate, supported by the evidence base. Each section, outlinedbelow, delivers a comprehensive overview of a number of topics covered at acolloquium held at Blenheim Palace in October 2007. Contributors at the colloquiumsuggest five areas as essential for the development of a fully-rounded, ‘reflective’criminal justice practitioner: knowledge of context and comparative studies;interpreting and applying data and research; working relationships; ologies andisms; and values, ethics and rights. Several leading academics in the fields ofcriminology and psychology, contribute chapters which are developed around thesefive areas. In the dynamic, rapidly-changing field of youth justice, a dedicated book, orvolume of books, on each theme would be required to do full justice to the level ofcontent; the authors acknowledge this and use the themes as a guide for the book aswell as ten objectives which form ‘a statement of purpose agreed at the colloquium’(pp.xviii–xix).

The book is split into five cohesive parts. Part One, Contexts of childhood and youth,considers the structural factors impacting on young people and theoretical modelsaround child development. Part Two, Research, knowledge and evidence in youth justice,continues the themes of Part One, placing them within the body of research evidenceinforming current practice; particularly offering a critique of the risk-factor paradigm.Part Three, Policy, possibilities and penal realities in youth justice, assesses structuraldisadvantage and its relation to incarceration; offering qualitative analysis on theimpact of current conditions in the secure estate on those imprisoned. Part Four,Reflective practice, considers the key principles of a model of intervention based aroundwork on desistance; in particular, incorporating the voices of children and movingaway from an emphasis on punishment. Part Five, Widening contexts, offers the readerexamples of practice in the UK and accounts of how international legislation mightdirect future policy.

Central to the handbook, two key questions are posed: What knowledge and skillsdo you need to practise effectively as a professional within the youth justice system?What values should inform your work with children and young people subject tocriminal justice sanctions? Using the themes of the colloquium, Taylor, Earle andHester have compiled an excellent volume, which offers insightful answers to thesetwo fundamental questions. A critical introduction to the key ideas and debates thatcurrently influence the work undertaken with young people and those that may shapefuture practice is presented. This is pivotal in providing both students andpractitioners in youth justice the opportunity to critically reflect on these ideas andcontemporary debates, and the effective development of future practice.

DANIEL MARSHALLPhD Candidate,Institute of Criminology,University of Cambridge.

117r 2011 The Authors

The Howard Journal of Criminal Justicer 2011 The Howard League and Blackwell Publishing Ltd

The Howard Journal Vol 50 No 1. February 2011ISSN 0265-5527, pp. 115–117