Jersey Revisited: reflections on the influence of a policy review on youth justice in an island microstate

In 2010 the authors were members of a team which was invited to carry out a review of
youth justice policy and practice in the Channel Island of Jersey. This article describes the
process of the review, its major recommendations, and what happened as a result. Substantial
improvements in Jersey’s youth justice system in the three years following the review suggest
that it had a positive impact on outcomes, although its impact on legislation was limited. The
article discusses some possible reasons for the positive impact, and points to similarities with
other small or devolved jurisdictions.