Youth Criminal Justice Act

Canada has many rules in place for all the crimes that happens throughout the country. However, people of different ages are treated differently. This is because of the YCJA, which gives youth who commit crime, under the age of eighteen, certain rights that adult criminals don’t get. This is a very debated and important topic because this act gives certain advantages to youth criminals because of their age and some people don’t think that this is fair.

The Youth Justice System deals with 12-17 year olds in trouble with the law. It uses a rehabilitative method to deal with youth. It makes sure the youth are provided with meaningful consequences for their actions and then reintegrates them back into society. The Youth Justice System brings up a lot of question and the main one is: Is Canada’s Youth Justice System fair and equitable? A lot of people argue that it is too lenient while others say it is a great method for dealing with youth. The Youth Justice system is fair and equitable; it uses a rehabilitative method that helps reintegrate youth back into society as normal functioning citizens. Young people deserve a different criminal code than adults because they are in the course of

Youth and juvenile crime is a common and serious issue in current society, and people, especially parents and educators, are pretty worried about the trend of this problem. According to Bala and Roberts, around 17% of criminals were youths, compared to 8% of Canadian population ranging between 12 to 18 years of age between 2003 and 2004 (2006, p37). As a big federal country, Canada has taken a series of actions since 1908. So far, there are three justice acts in the history of Canadian juvenile justice system, the 1908 Juvenile Delinquents Act, the 1982 Young Offenders Act, and the 2003 Youth Criminal Justice Act. In Canada, the judicial system and the principle of these laws have been debated for a long time. This paper will discuss how

We believe that YCJA is fair. The law is fair and equitable in the light of fact that some of the adolescent who have a crime might not know what they are doing but will get a fair sentence and punishment. Having these laws will help the teenagers to not do the same crime again because they may need to pay restitution or do a community service. As years pass by, we are seeing that there fewer cases of youth breaking laws and they are given a second chance to reintegrate. In this way, the youth is given a chance to learn from his/her previous mistakes. The YCJA also provides fair consequences and fair

In Canada when a young person gets in trouble with the law, the punishment given will be in accordance with the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The Youth Criminal Justice Act was created in 2003. The main objective of this legislation is to hold youth accountable for their actions through the promotion of “rehabilitation” and “reintegration” (Youth Criminal Justice Act, 2002, S.3a(ii)). Within the Canadian court system, there is a youth court for individuals who get in trouble with the law while they are still under the age of 18 years. In Calgary, Alberta the youth courtrooms are located in the Calgary Courts Center building, which is located at 601 5th Street SW. I attended youth court on Wednesday, October 26, 2016 and Monday, October 31th. This paper will shed light on the atmosphere of the youth courtroom, analyze how the criminal justice professionals are acting within the courtroom, and discuss certain cases that went through the youth courts.

In Spring 2009, three offenders, all in grade eleven , set two houses is Sherwood park on fire. The youth criminal justice Act (YCJA) provided opportunities for them to reintegrate and rehabilitate, instead of throwing them in jail. YCJA covers kids between the ages twelve to seventeen years old. It 's purpose is to handle youth offenders more differently than adults because of their undeveloped minds. The YCJA was released back in 2003. By protecting the rights and providing Youth Canadians the support they need, the YCJA benefits the offenders in a positive way. The act gentrust the youth a second chance to make sure they don 't reoffend by rehabilitating and reintegrating them. Also youth over the age 14 years can get an adult sentence if necessary. Therefore, the YCJA is an effective law because it supports everyone; youth will acquire the help they need and Public Safety is insured.

Youth crime is a growing epidemic that affects most teenagers at one point in their life. There is no question in society to whether or not youths are committing crimes. It has been shown that since 1986 to 1998 violent crime committed by youth jumped approximately 120% (CITE). The most controversial debate in Canadian history would have to be about the Young Offenders Act (YOA). In 1982, Parliament passed the Young Offenders Act (YOA). Effective since 1984, the Young Offenders Act replaced the most recent version of the Juvenile Delinquents Act (JDA). The Young Offenders Act’s purpose was to shift from a social welfare approach to making youth take responsibility for their actions. It also addressed concerns that the paternalistic

The overwhelming majority of juveniles are involved in impulsive or risky, even delinquent behaviors during their teenage years. However, the majority go on to become very productive citizens who do not commit crimes. In order for this to continue the government established the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) which gives young offenders a chance to better themselves, and. By doing so, the YCJA helps teach youth that their actions are unacceptable and the punishments imposed are lesser then an adult. Through the analysis of their unacceptable actions, lesser punishments and a better future, it is clear that YCJA is highly effective at giving youth a better chance in society.

The YCJA was created with two main goals in mind the first being “For the relatively small number of youth found guilty of the most serious violent offences, the Act facilitates the process for imposing a more severe, adult sentence. [The second is] for the vast majority of young offenders who commit less serious offences, the YCJA is intended to reduce Canada's reliance on the use of courts

Many argue that the act is too lenient to the youth while others argue that it is and effective way of dealing with youth. The fact is that even though the YCJA may not be effective in dealing with the more serious crimes, overall it is fair and equitable to everyone. It provides a youth with a second chance by teaching them not to commit crimes again through meaningful and effective consequences and then reintegrating them back into society. The act also recognizes the reduced maturity levels of youth and separates the justice system from adults and how the circumstances of the youth can affect their decision making. First reason why the act is fair and equitable is because it recognizes that youth

Why is the Youth Criminal Justice Act so important? What does it do for us and our youth? How is it fair and equitable? The YCJA applies to young offenders twelve to seventeen, and youth ages fourteen to seventeen can be given adult sentences if needed. It gives meaningful consequences to young offenders and helps rehabilitate and reintegrate them back into our society.

Because many of the social structures that once kept our kids secure have broken down, we have today's appalling data on juvenile crimes, gangs, drug abuse, pregnancy and dropouts…it is just common sense that if we don't provide these young people with some kind of sanctuary--I call them safe places--and give kids something constructive to do once the last bell rings, they are going to be easy marks for drug dealer, gang recruiters, and other preditors. (Powell)

New Brunswick’s rate of youth criminally charged has been decreasing ever since the introduction of Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) in 2002. However, a decade has passed with still no progress on lowering the number of youth sent to pretrial and secure custody, which is disproportionately high compared to other provinces. The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate’s More Less Court report identifies issues such as this and offers solutions to the problems with New Brunswick’s youth justice system. Vulnerable youth being caught up in the justice system and improvements on diverting youth from the criminal justice system are among other withstanding issues that will also be touched upon. The government of New Brunswick’s Provincial Crime Prevention

A criminal record can also prevent the youth from working in volunteer, and can also decrease the chances of getting a job. However, if Trevor was charged under the Criminal Code of Canada, then he would likely get a criminal record. With these varied sentencings, Trevor can have very different punishments depending on his age, and which criminal act he is charged

By 2003 Canada had created the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) to appropriately respond to delinquent youths. By creating this their goal is to: reintegrate and rehabilitate, be fair and proportionate accountability that is consistent with the greater dependency of young persons and their reduced level of maturity, make sure youth is being treated fairly and their rights are protected among a variety of other tasks (Government of Canada, 2016). As a society, we are always observing for factors to explain these behaviors to reduce anomie. Theorist