Youth court celebrates 100 years.

Sheffield Magistrates Court celebrated 100 years of youth justice with an open day on March 28 2009. Visitors witnessed mock trials, sat inside a police van, saw how an electronic tag works and saw various displays and exhibition stands. Louise Gill from the Steel Bugle went to experience the day.

It’s not unusual to see a police car with its lights flashing and the siren going off outside the Sheffield Magistrates court but today young children were climbing in and out of the car. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to sit in a police car so I followed them and clambered into the back seat and shut the door. The seats were surprisingly comfy. I imagined them to be hard and uncomfortable. Next to me, in the middle, was a metal box; I wondered what this was used for so I asked a nearby policeman. He said it was used to hold weapons, which made sense really but still felt really strange.

The next stop was the police van which transports prisoners to and from custody. I climbed the steps and two police officers were showing people the tiny spaces in which the prisoners have to sit. Imagine the toilet seats on an aeroplane, there isn’t much room and that is what it reminded me of. I sat inside the space and the policeman shut the door and locked it. I felt trapped and a bit panicky. It wasn’t a nice experience. It reminded me of how they transport cattle around; I will never look at a police van the same way.

Inside the court I was handed a Youth Court fact sheet. It included a list of the day’s activities and facts about what the Youth Court does. These include preventing young people offending and protecting the public from harm. Lots of posters were being handed out at various displays. There was a Youth Court time line starting from 1820, when a boy of nine was hanged for stealing six handkerchiefs, to 2003, when the anti-social behaviour act was introduced as a penalty.

Mock trials from 1909 to 2009 were played out frequently in courts 5 and 6. This was the part I had been most looking forward to, seeing how the crimes and punishments had changed. The first trial was from 1909 and was about a girl who had been stealing bonnets from the shop in which she worked. The magistrates asked the audience what they thought should happen to the girl, it got me thinking about what would be a fair punishment. I thought the girl should have had to pay a fine and be warned about any further crimes. However, the girl was given 21 days in prison and 3 years at a reformatory school. I thought this seemed harsh but was the norm in those days.

The next trial was one in the present day and was about a boy who had been stealing DVDs from his workplace. Once again the audience were asked what they would do. It was interesting listening to other people’s views; for example, many were saying he should go to prison. However, the boy’s punishment was a £500 fine, which would have to be paid by his mother as he had lost his job. The mock trials were fun and interesting with the girl acting as a thief dressing up in olden day clothes.

One stall was all about road safety. Tamper proof tax disc holders were handed out and posters reminded people that the 30mph speed limit is in force to save lives. All the stalls were informative and some even gave away free sweets.

At another stall a woman was demonstrating electronic tags. The woman on the stall was really helpful; I asked her how the person wearing the electronic tag managed to wear socks and other clothing because the tag looked quite bulky. It wraps around the offender’s leg, fairly tight so they can’t remove it. It reminded me of the tags you wear when you go in hospital but larger. The woman made a joke about it and said they would have difficulty with tights! But she said offenders just have to work around it and people usually cover it up with trousers because it is fairly small. I was intrigued to see what the machine was like what the electronic tag is linked to; it looked just like a telephone. When the person under surveillance leaves the dedicated area after a certain time the electronic tag links to the machine and a signal is sent warning the police.

As a record of the day there was a billboard with a large white piece of paper on it and everyone was invited to put their fingerprint on it and sign their name underneath. I enjoyed having my fingerprint took and being part of a special, memorable day.

Louise Jade Gill, The Steel Bugle