Last month we launched our Smaller but Tougher project and infographic, highlighting how the criminal justice system has become smaller in scale but tougher in impact on young adults.
Fewer 18–24-year-olds are processed overall, yet those who do enter the system face harsher outcomes, from increased remand to longer custodial sentences. The findings also show that gender and ethnic disparities persist, despite previous reviews such as Baroness Corston’s 2007 report on women in the criminal justice system and David Lammy’s 2017 review on racial disparities. These inequalities are not isolated; they remain a consistent feature of how the system operates today.
You can find the full infographic and project page here. Smaller but Tougher is an ongoing project that moves beyond the data to explore what’s driving these trends. The next phase of this project aims to shed light on why these patterns persist and what they mean for young adults, the justice system, and the way it responds to them.
We are actively seeking experts and practitioners to get involved. Conversations will help guide the project’s focus on remand, ethnic disparities, ethnicity data collection, and barriers to reform, shaping recommendations and practical routes for meaningful change. Your perspective is vital in ensuring the research reflects the realities of practice and informs policy decisions effectively.
We will summarise our findings in an accessible briefing and host a roundtable later this year, bringing together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners. Sign up for updates, share your expertise, or express interest in joining the panel to help ensure Smaller but Tougher drives lasting and impactful change in youth justice.
How you can get involved
There are several ways to engage with this work:
- Stay informed: Sign up to our mailing list to receive updates as the research develops.
- Share your insights: If you have experience, evidence, or perspectives relevant to any of the focus areas, we would welcome a conversation. Please contact us here.
- Roundtable participation: We plan to host a roundtable in 2026 to bring together policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to advance discussion and collaboration. If you are interested in taking part, please get in touch here.
