More haste, less speed? : an evaluation of fast track policies to tackle persistent youth offending in Scotland

Hill, Malcolm and Walker, Moira and Moodie, Kristina and Wallace, Brendan and Khan, Furzana and McIvor, Gill and Kendrick, Andrew, University of Strathclyde (2007) More haste, less speed? : an evaluation of fast track policies to tackle persistent youth offending in Scotland. Youth Justice, 7 (2). pp. 121-138. ISSN 1747-6283 (https://doi.org/10.1177/1473225407078775)

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Abstract

In 2003 the Scottish Executive introduced a new 'Fast Track' policy on a pilot basis, which was intended to speed up the processing of persistent youth offending cases and reduce rates of persistent offending. Additional resources were provided to promote access to dedicated programmes, as well as quicker assessment, report delivery and decision making. This paper, based on a multi-stranded comparative evaluation, describes how the policy was welcomed by a wide range of practitioners, decision makers and managers involved with children's hearings who mostly thought it was a positive innovation consistent with the hearing system's commitment to a welfare-based approach. 'Fast Track' cases were handled more quickly than others. After two years, however, the policy was discontinued, largely because of negative evidence about re-offending.

ORCID iDs

Hill, Malcolm, Walker, Moira, Moodie, Kristina, Wallace, Brendan, Khan, Furzana, McIvor, Gill and Kendrick, Andrew ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1910-6051;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)