The research focuses on the possible added value that volunteers can have on the goals of probation supervision. Forty-five volunteers, probation officers and clients were interviewed. Results show that volunteers were deployed in multiple phases of the probation process, and performed a wide range of activities. Probation officers and volunteers could strengthen each other if they enter into a collaboration aimed at the goals of the supervision plan. Probation services may make more use of the potential of volunteers by also deploying them to more serious target groups. The choice for volunteering is tailor-made, in which safety is paramount, and motivation and responsiveness are also considered.

The regular legal framework in the Netherlands stipulates that criminal cases against young adults are dealt with under adult criminal law. In 2014 the maximum age limit for application of juvenile criminal law was raised to 23 years if the suspect or the circumstances of the offence give reason to do so. This so called ‘adolescent criminal law’ is based on the observation that incomplete neuro-psychosocial development can contribute to the continuation of criminal behaviour. There is lack of clarity in the criterion ‘incomplete development’. Different screening instruments are used. Since development continues, it is more meaningful to ask the question whether and to what extent there is a developmental delay, whether the adolescent can and wants to develop further and whether the treatment and interventions from the juvenile criminal law can be helpful in this regard. This calls for a legal principle of ‘juvenile criminal law unless’.

Though the position of victims of crime in criminal proceedings has improved on paper, it is claimed within both the academic as the legal community that realization of victims’ rights is inadequate. In this exploratory research, a broad group of (legal) professionals was systematically questioned on this matter. They were asked whether and where compliance with victims’ rights is lacking, and how this comes about in their view. Although much has improved, it appears that compliance by the authorities is not yet self-evident and fundamental mechanisms in the criminal justice system appear to hinder the realization of rights for victims.