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The Cultural Context of Juvenile Justice Policy in Israel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 September 2012

MIMI AJZENSTADT  and
MONA KHOURY-KASSABRI
MIMI AJZENSTADT*
Affiliation:
School of Social Work and Social Welfare, and Institute of Criminology, Faculty of Law, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem 91905, Israel.
MONA KHOURY-KASSABRI
Affiliation:
School of Social Work and Social Welfare, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem 91905, Israel email: msmona@mscc.huji.ac.il
*
email: mimi@mscc.huji.ac.il
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Abstract

The paper explores the evolution of rehabilitative, rights and economic discourses, and their effect on the development of juvenile justice policies in Israel during the last two decades. Israel has adopted the main features of a neo-liberal regime and severe cuts were made to major social welfare programmes, including those dealing with juvenile offenders. However, the neo-liberal ideas of individualisation and responsibilisation did not penetrate the area of juvenile delinquency. A renewed welfarist discourse in Israel was created instead. This strongly relied on traditional beliefs in rehabilitation and treatment based on a child-centred culture, incorporating concepts of rights and embedded in practical economic considerations.

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Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Social Policy , Volume 42 , Issue 1 , January 2013 , pp. 111 - 128
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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