Russia and Youth Crime

Abstract

We present, within a comparative context, data from the first Russian research on attitudes to youth crime and sentencing. In Russia, the harsh treatment of young offenders, which existed in the Soviet period, has softened, but welfare-oriented juvenile justice still awaits legislative approval. We assess whether the Russian public would support such a reform agenda. Comparing the Russian data with research, conducted in England and Wales and other countries in which a more punitive response has been adopted in recent years, we find unexpected similarities, and contrasting attitudes, and a strong welfare orientation among the Russian public. We seek explanations, and suggest factors influencing attitudes towards young offenders that future comparative research should take into account.