Juvenile Liaison
Banned for 22 years after pressure from the Lancashire Police, this often shocking documentary follows a 1968 police youth initiative in Blackburn, Lancashire. Juvenile liaison officers were appointed to the police force with the purpose of serving as a link between families, schools, and young offe...
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| Institution: | Open Society Archives at Central European University |
| Language: | English |
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Lafayette Film
1975
United Kingdom |
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10891/osa:ee3d675c-cacb-4894-86c5-9557d0d7fb6e |
| Summary: | Banned for 22 years after pressure from the Lancashire Police, this often shocking documentary follows a 1968 police youth initiative in Blackburn, Lancashire. Juvenile liaison officers were appointed to the police force with the purpose of serving as a link between families, schools, and young offenders. While the intention of the program was to prevent children from becoming juvenile delinquents, policing methods were often brutal and mentally abusive; the fact that their charges were children was simply not taken into account. The bulky, hulking figure of Sgt Ray berates a tiny Indian girl for stealing eight and a half pence and some pencils; the special needs child George is dragged from his bed to explain his violent behavior. PW Brooks is little better with the psychological abuse she metes out to her charges, using any leverage from family members to break the children. The film stirred up considerable controversy thanks to its depiction of the harsh treatment inflicted on children brought in for minor offences. |
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| Published: | 1975 |