The Youth Justice Board ( cy, Bwrdd Cyfiawnder Ieuenctid), for England and Wales (YJB) is a
non-departmental public body
In the United Kingdom, non-departmental public body (NDPB) is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to public sector organisations that have a role in the process o ...
created by the
Crime and Disorder Act 1998
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (c.37) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act was published on 2 December 1997 and received Royal Assent in July 1998. Its key areas were the introduction of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, Sex ...
to oversee the youth justice system for England and Wales. It is sponsored by the
Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry.
Lists of current ministries of justice
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia)
* Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Justi ...
, and its Board members are appointed by the Secretary of State for Justice. It also receives funding from the Home Office and the
Department for Education
The Department for Education (DfE) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for child protection, child services, education (compulsory, further and higher education), apprenticeships and wider skills in England.
A Departme ...
. In November 2011 the government dropped plans, contained in the Public Bodies Bill, to abolish the Youth Justice Board.
Functions
The YJB's primary function is to monitor the operation of the youth justice system and the provision of youth justice services. Within England and Wales it is responsible for:
* using information and evidence to form an expert view of how to get the best outcomes for children who offend and for victims of crime
* advising the Secretary of State for Justice and those working in youth justice services about how well the system is operating, and how improvements can be made
* identifying and sharing best practice
promoting the voice of the child* commissioning research and publishing information in connection with good practice
* monitoring the youth justice system and the provision of youth justice services
* making grants, with the approval of the Secretary of State, for the purposes of the operation of the youth justice system and services
* providing information technology related assistance for the operation of the youth justice system and services. The main vehicle for this is the Youth Justice Application Framework (YJAF) which is a case management system collecting data utilised by the YJB for its Business Intelligence & Insights function, and information exchange between Youth Justice Services and the Secure Estate regarding children.
Board Members
Members of the YJB's Board are appointed by the
Secretary of State for Justice
The secretary of state for justice, also referred to as the justice secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Ministry of Justice. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the Un ...
. The following people are current YJB Board Members:
*
Keith Fraser (Chair)
* Brian Tytherleigh
* Dr Gillian Fairfield
*
Keith Towler
The Children's Commissioner for Wales is responsible for protecting children's rights as set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Peter Clarke was the Commissioner from its introduction in 2001 until his death in 2007. The job int ...
* Professor
Neal Hazel
Neal Hazel is a British criminologist and social policy analyst who is best known for his research on youth justice and on family support. He is Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Salford and is the former Her Majest ...
* Sharon Gray
* Susannah Hancock
* Louise Shorter
* Jacob Sakil
The YJB's current Chief Executive is Claudia Sturt. The organisation has about 100 staff.
Chairs of the YJB
*September 1998–June 2003 :
Lord Norman Warner
*June 2003–April 2004 : Sir Charles Pollard (Acting)
*April 2004–January 2007 :
Rod Morgan
Rodney Emrys Morgan (born 16 February 1942) is Professor Emeritus, University of Bristol and Visiting Professor at the University of Sussex. He is the former chair of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (2004-7) and prior to that was ...
*February 2007–February 2008 : Graham Robb (Interim)
*February 2008–March 2014 :
Frances Done
Frances Winifred Done, CBE, FCA (''née'' Bishop; born 6 May 1950) is a British public administrator, accountant and former local politician.
Early life
She was born in Bristol
*March 2014–February 2017 :
Lord Tom McNally
*March 2017–April 2020 : Charlie Taylor
*April 2020–Current :
Keith Fraser
External links
Youth Justice BoardYJB Publications
References
Prison-related organizations
Non-departmental public bodies of the United Kingdom government
Youth organisations based in the United Kingdom
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