since gilbert and sullivan used the phrase in "the mikado", "short, sharp shock" has been used in political discourse in the uk. the phrase met renewed popularity with respect to government policy on young offenders pursued by the conservative government of 1979–1990 under margaret thatcher, having appeared in the 1979 conservative policy manifesto, which promised that the party would "experiment with a tougher regime as a short, sharp shock for young criminals". these policies led to the enactment of the criminal justice acts of 1982 and 1988 which, among other reforms, replaced borstals with the youth detention centres in place today.