A comparison of the Juvenile Delinquents Act, the Young Offenders Act and the proposed Youth Criminal Justice Act. The philosophies of the three Acts are contrasted and differences in practice are noted. The potential impact of the Youth Criminal Justice Act is discussed. (An update of this document was written in 2007.) Download

A comparison of the Juvenile Delinquents Act, the Young Offenders Act and the proposed Youth Criminal Justice Act. The philosophies of the three Acts are contrasted and differences in practice are noted. The potential impact of the Youth Criminal Justice Act is discussed. (An update of a document written in 1999.) Download

An examination of increased interest in holding parents accountable for their children’s actions. Parental liability laws in Cana da and the United States are explored. Issues surrounding parental liability laws, including the effectiveness of such laws in addressing youth crime, are examined. More effective alternatives to parental liability laws are presented. Download

An analysis of whether the justice system treats young people more harshly than adults. Examines frequency of custodial sentences, use of custodial dispositions, custody sentence length and rates of incarceration. Download

A description of the differences among wilderness camps, boot camps and work camps for young offenders. Includes program descriptions, findings from program evaluations and notable concerns about each type of program. The paper concludes with suggestions about the necessary elements for successful work camp programs for young offenders. Download

The Canadian public’s perception that the youth crime rate is a growing phenomena in society and that communities are increasingly vulnerable to violent criminal behaviour by young people is one that is unfortunately reinforced by external sources. Sensationalized media coverage, frustrated law enforcement officers and vote seeking politicians have tended to portray only parts of…