Juvenile justice lessons from Norway and Scotland
Norway and Scotland have garnered international recognition for their pioneering efforts in reforming juvenile justice systems, with a focus on alternatives to incarceration that prioritize the rights and rehabilitation of young offenders. Notably, in 2014, the Norwegian government introduced two groundbreaking youth justice reforms: ‘Youth supervision’ and ‘Youth sentencing’. Professor Emeritus Dag Leonardsen of Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences in a 2022 study in collaboration with Therese Andrews, Research Professor at Nordland Research Institute, found that these initiatives are rooted in restorative justice principles, emphasizing accountability while providing tailored support services for offenders, such as counseling, drug rehabilitation, job training, and community service, among others. Similarly, Scotland has demonstrated a commitment to innovative reform with the passage of the Children (Care and Justice) Bill in March 2024. This legislation aims to diminish the reliance on institutionalization for young offenders by bolstering diversionary strategies from criminal courts and fostering age-appropriate settings by the end of 2024.
While numerous countries have endeavored to reform their justice systems, the effectiveness of these efforts has been hindered by a combination of factors, including limited resources, insufficient political resolve, and shortsighted policies. This challenge is compounded by the universal struggle to rehabilitate and reintegrate juvenile offenders into society. Many of these individuals return to environments fraught with instability, which initially led to their involvement in the justice system. Consequently, they often find themselves ensnared in a cycle of recidivism, perpetuating their entanglement with law enforcement. Despite strides made in incorporating restorative justice and community reparation into the justice system, the persistently high rates of recidivism among young offenders underscore the inadequacies of current strategies.
When analyzing juvenile reoffending rates across different countries, significant disparities become evident. While these statistics are often presented in numerical form, they serve as a lens through which to discern deeper, more profound issues and variations within various regions. For instance, within the United Kingdom, particularly in England and Wales, the reoffending rate for juvenile offenders aged 10 to 17 hovers at approximately 35 per cenG. The UK government notes that there is a slight discrepancy between younger (35.4% for 10 to 14-year-olds) and older juveniles (33.9% for 15 to 17-year-olds), indicating nuanced age-related trends. Moreover, the three-year reconviction rate in the UK stands at a concerning 59 per cent. In contrast, the United States grapples with significantly higher reoffending rates among juveniles, with approximately 55 per cent of young offenders returning to criminal activity within 12 months of release, as reported by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The three-year reconviction rate in the US is also notably high, at around 45 per cent. Similarly, the Canadian Government reports a wide range of reoffending rates for juveniles, often fluctuating between 40 per cent and 60 per cent across provinces, with a reconviction rate of about 35 per cent over two years. In Latin America, countries like Brazil and Mexico face analogous challenges, with high juvenile reoffending rates attributed to systemic issues within their justice systems. According to Crime Policy Analyst Nathan James, the Caribbean region, including nations like Jamaica, also struggles with elevated reoffending rates, reaching levels of around 40 per cent to 50 per cent. These figures underscore the profound impact of socio-economic challenges and inadequate rehabilitation programs in perpetuating recidivism within the region. Although data from Africa is less consistent, high recidivism rates are generally observed, primarily due to underdeveloped juvenile justice systems. These disparities highlight the pressing need for targeted interventions and systemic reforms to address the root causes of juvenile recidivism on a global scale.
These comparisons highlight the global challenge of rehabilitating young offenders and reducing recidivism. Norway and Scotland stand out for their low reoffending rates, around 20 per cent and 22.4 per cent, respectively, contrasting with higher rates in the United States and England/Wales. This underscores the success of their rehabilitation-focused approaches, prioritizing rehabilitation, restorative justice, and supportive interventions over punishment. By emphasizing counseling, drug recovery, and job training, among other support services, they foster effective reintegration. These experiences offer valuable lessons for addressing high recidivism rates worldwide.
Using Norway and Scotland as models for youth justice reform in other regions is justified by the valuable lessons gleaned from their best practices. Despite ongoing challenges, their achievements in safeguarding the rights of juvenile offenders deserve recognition and consideration for adoption. Notably, both countries exhibit higher levels of social and family stability, supported by well-developed systems of childcare, healthcare, and social equality. This distinguishes them from nations grappling with higher youth recidivism rates. Consequently, countries facing elevated recidivism rates can prioritize early intervention and prevention strategies, implement diverse support programs for families and parents, and enact policies addressing various inequalities, such as income inequality, inequality in the justice system, race/ethnic inequality, social inequality, inequality in regional development, and health inequalities). These concerted efforts aim to foster more positive outcomes for youth development and productivity.
Dr. Regan Reid specializes in youth, mental health and criminal justice.
