An exploration of the potential of music in youth justice

This review by US consultancy WolfBrown was commissioned by the Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute in 2012. The purpose of the review was to invite readers and stakeholders – including organisations, musicians, staff, and advocates–to think about three key questions:  What exactly can music (or, more broadly, the arts) contribute to the reform of juvenile justice systems? What constitutes making that contribution responsibly and well? How do we build evidence that music (or the arts more broadly) make a difference in the lives of youth, staff, families, or facilities? The study involved extensive desk research as well as contributions from individuals from across the arts, youth and the juvenile justice system.  It considers how artists and arts organisations can go about partnering with communities to offer alternative choices that young people really want.