NCJ Number
89169
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 25 Issue: 2 Dated: (April 1983) Pages: 209-226
Date Published
1983
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Official statistics examined for the response of the Canadian juvenile justice system to break and enter (B and E) cases indicate that Canada should examine its agencies of social control, especially if the Canadian public feels that the control of deviance justifies sacrificing some freedoms.
Abstract
A comparison of data from comparable cities in the United States and Canada indicates that Canada is more concerned with social control than the United States. The analysis looks at where contact with the juvenile justice system occurs: with the police, the courts, probation agencies, or some other agency. It compares B and E data for juveniles in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta; Quebec and Manitoba; Newfoundland and British Columbia; and for Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. The data indicate that Manitoba and Alberta not only take charge of juveniles very often, but that they use probation fairly extensively. Manitoba and Alberta seem to have systems that respond more to property crimes than do the other Provinces. Based on available data, the paper concludes that official statistics are poorly designed to measure actual delinquent behavior, although they may provide a clue to the amount of energy and resources spent responding to certain perceived juvenile problems. Seven tables and 18 references are included.