A criminologist from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has been appointed as the chair of a national charity which stands up for the rights of children and young people in trouble with the law.
Ross Little is the new chair of the trustee board of the National Association for Youth Justice. He takes up the position following the retirement of the previous chair, Pamela Hibbert, OBE.
The senior lecturer in Criminology in the School of Applied Social Sciences at DMU said he was thrilled to be leading the charity.
“It’s a real honour to follow in the footsteps of Pam Hibbert, who’s had a great deal of experience and success,” he said. “I’ll do my best to continue her work in promoting the rights of and justice for children in conflict with the law.”
His appointment comes at a time of great uncertainty in the world of youth justice, with courts and jails among the bodies awaiting the publication of a fundamental review written by the government’s former schools behaviour tsar Charlie Taylor.
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The interim report, released back in February, raised the possibility of a shake-up that could see youth jails replaced by a new network of small ‘secure schools’.
“Youth justice is at a crossroads,” said Ross. “It looks like we are set for some changes in the sector, and when there is change there are always opportunities and threats.
“The NAYJ has built a strong, trusted position in the sector as an organisation that helps others understand the current state of youth justice and promote the rights of children and young people caught up in the system.
"Our most recent report, The State of Youth Custody is an important contribution to this.”
For more information on the work of the National Association for Youth Justice, see: thenayj.org.uk
Posted on Monday 28 November 2016