Our Impact
Professor Hannah Smithson (Manchester Metropolitan University) - 'What next for youth justice?'
On Tuesday 10th September the UCC Futures: Children Cluster welcomed Dr. Hannah Smithson who is Professor of Youth Justice at the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies, at the Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). Hannah shared her expertise on participatory practice in youth justice and met with UCC colleagues and students to present a seminar titled “What Next for Youth Justice?”
On Tuesday 10th September the UCC Futures: Children Cluster welcomed Dr. Hannah Smithson who is Professor of Youth Justice at the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies, at the Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). Hannah shared her expertise on participatory practice in youth justice and met with UCC colleagues and students to present a seminar titled “What Next for Youth Justice?”
Hannah has worked in the field of criminology for over 25 years and specializes in youth justice. She the co-convener of the Greater Manchester Youth Justice Partnership – a partnership between MMU and each of the 10 Greater Manchester youth justice services. The partnership has led to the co-creation of a transformative new framework of practice: Participatory Youth Practice (PYP). PYP is the first framework to be co-created with justice-involved children based on their lived experiences. PYP has had an impact on youth justice practice, on national and international youth justice strategies, and, most importantly, on justice-involved children themselves.
Hannah opened her seminar by posing asking the room “what are in your mind, the main priorities for youth justice?”. Answers ranged but focused on the central themes of funding (and lack thereof), cultural sensitivities to those groups overrepresented in the justice system, and issues of language disorders in relation to juvenile detention, high rates of re-offending, and the need for specialist training engaged with children in the justice system. Hannah identified her priorities as tackling and responding to racial disparity, raising the age of criminal responsibility, and youth custody.
Hannah delved into the topic of youth custody, discussing the statistics and characteristics of those children and young people incarcerated, the status of children’s social care, the financial cost of youth custody and more. Hannah also opened for discussion a more critical view of the ‘child first’ policy used within the English and Wales context of youth justice.
Hannah concluded her seminar with a call to action. She argued for a call to reform on micro and macro level, to move away from top-down approaches, to reconsider and revise the adult-devised assessment tools, and to reassess the preoccupation within the field of ‘risk management’.
Further information can be found on: Research group: Manchester Centre for Youth Studies (MCYS) | MMU
This seminar is part of the UCC Futures: Children Seminar Series, which provides an opportunity for members of the cluster to share insights into their research and projects. If you are interested in presenting or hosting a seminar based on your research area, please contact us via lkoning@ucc.ie or egratyhood@ucc.ie