Secure Detention and Short-Term Custody Youth Centres: A Social Service Perspective

• NCJ Number: 163908
• Journal: Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: January 1995 Pages: 28-30
• Author(s): M. Motiuk
• Date Published: January 1995
• Length: 3 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

Procedures and services were established in the Ottawa-Carleton Young Offenders Unit in Canada to provide appropriate care, supervision, and treatment of Phase 2 (16- and 17-year-old) young offenders.

Abstract

As of April 1985, Phase 2 young offenders in custodial settings were required by Canadian law to be housed separately from those 18 years of age and older. The Ottawa-Carleton Young Offenders Unit was set up within the existing structure of the maximum security Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre. The Young Offenders Unit was staffed by correctional officers, operational managers, and a social worker. Health care, psychological, and chaplaincy services were provided when a psychologist, a recreational officer, a chaplain, and two teachers were later added to the unit. Over the years, the unit has been transformed into a secure and structured setting. The unit has a 24-bed capacity, and most of the unit's young offenders are awaiting bail, trial, sentencing, transfer, or review hearing. Upon sentencing, residents receiving a long-term sentence (3 months to 3 years) are transferred to a secure custody setting. Unlike the adult system in which offenders are classified according to security and programming needs and then placed in minimum-, medium- or maximum-security facilities, young offenders are routinely transferred from the unit to a youth center shortly after they receive a long-term sentence. All offenders are housed together in the unit, regardless of gender or admission status. An internal classification system is used to prevent victimization in the unit, and a reward system encourages young offenders to perform 16 prosocial behaviors each day. Upon admission to the unit, young offenders undergo an intake needs assessment and a psychological evaluation. Once program needs are identified, young offenders are referred to appropriate service providers. 1 reference