Regaining Equilibrium in the Canadian Juvenile Justice System (From Young Offenders Act: A Revolution in Canadian Criminal Justice, P 291-300, 1991, Alan W Leschied, Peter G Jaffe, et al, eds. -- See NCJ-134506)

• NCJ Number: 134520
• Author(s): P G Jaffe; A W Leschied; W Willis
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 10 pages
• Sale Source: University of Toronto Press
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

The Young Offenders Act (YOA) has had and will continue to have major effects on youth and the systems serving them in Canada, with recent newspaper articles showing that public attention and policy debate have focused mainly on two issues: the rights of minors and the disagreements between the Federal and provincial governments regarding the Act's funding and implementation.

Abstract

The YOA's emphasis on rights and having the punishment fit the crime creates an environment in the juvenile justice system that parallels that of the adult criminal justice system. In the future, court and custodial facility overcrowding will lead to greater diversion through alternative measures, more early identification and prevention programs, and closer links between social service agencies and the police. Other likely trends will include greater cooperation among Federal and provincial governments, public pressure for more severe sentences, and increasing shifts of mentally ill youth from social service and mental health facilities to correctional facilities. These possibilities underscore the need for counseling and educational services in custodial facilities; progress in research regarding risk factors, prevention programs, and effective treatment; and greatly improved information systems to guide policy and program decisionmaking. 22 references