Youth justice and social harm: Towards a ‘theory of the good’

This article seeks to develop a distinctive conceptual framework for the purpose of (re)imagining progressive youth justice. We begin by utilising zemiological insights to relate the widely recognised impacts of neoliberalism to the social harms associated with the youth justice system. Then, drawing on a classification of children’s needs, informed by a ‘theory of the good’, and interrogating the idea of ‘utopia as method’, we move on to set out the guiding principles (‘archaeology’) and operational drivers (‘architecture’) which we believe provide an effective basis for the development of progressive forms of youth justice. We also acknowledge the value of several ‘noble attempts’ which go some way to achieving these objectives, despite limitations and systemic constraints.