The Making of Youth Justice Policy in Sweden

Sweden’s youth justice system is undergoing a significant transformation with a series of reforms that introduce harsher penalties for youth offenders. This project examines how these ongoing reform packages are produced, framed and interpreted in practice. It focuses in particular on two reform packages concerning custodial sanctions for children, youth supervision, the abolition of sentence reductions for young adults, and the lowering of the age of criminal responsibility for serious crimes. Combining qualitative analysis of policy documents (government directives, official reports, bills and preparatory works) with interviews, the study follows the reforms from political directives and preparation to early-stage implementation.
While research on criminal policy in Sweden and internationally has largely focused on macro-level political shifts, this study directs analytical attention to the meso-level: how legal and policy professionals interpret, negotiate and give meaning to reform objectives within institutional settings. Interviews with judges, prosecutors, defence lawyers and policy officials explore how youth crime is framed, how competing justice models are reconciled in deliberations, and how professional discretion shapes the translation of policy into practice.
Conducted over three years by the principal investigator, the project moves beyond formal legislation to analyse youth justice policy as a socially and institutionally embedded process. By examining how punitive ambitions and child rights commitments are navigated in practice, the study contributes to broader debates on child-friendly justice, the governance of youth crime, and the sustainability of rights-based penal reform. Findings will inform both academic discussions and policy development in Sweden and beyond.