YCJA

• Canada passed the Juvenile Delinquents Act


  1908
• Juvenile Delinquents Act

  • Youth were not given adult sentences
  • Believed youth committing crimes had been raised poorly and didn't deserve as harsh a punishment
• Canada passed the Young Offenders Act


  1984
• Young Offenders Act

  • Had more clear, defined sentences for Criminal Code violations only
  • Helped protect youth privacy
  • 3 year sentence limit
• Canada passed the Youth Criminal Justice Act


  2003
• Youth Criminal Justice Act

  • Helped speed up the justice system
  • Consequences tended to be connected to the victims/affected communities
• YCJA vs. Criminal Code:

  The Criminal Code deals with adults who have broken the law. It makes going to jail the consequence for breaking the law, allows publication of criminals names, creates a criminal record for most offenders. The YCJA deals with 12-17 year olds who break the law. It outlines consequences for young offenders, and doesn't allow adult sentences for youth 12-14 year olds. It also helps protect the privacy of young offenders, and also allows young offenders to avoid a criminal record. 
• How does the YCJA protect young offenders?

  YCJA protects youth offenders from getting a permanent criminal record and helps them to reintegrate back into society and learn from their mistakes
• What are the four factors that determine consequences for young offenders?

  The seriousness of the offense, history of the young person, attitude of the young person, and the circumstances of the young person all help determine consequences for the young offenders. 
• Possible courses of action when a young person commits a crime

  1. Charged

  2. Not charged
• If charged

  Handed over to police, maybe sent to court to determine sentence/program, or have to pay restitution fee
• If not charged

  Get let off with a warning or referred to a program to help them learn from their mistakes
• Referring young offenders to programs

  1. Have to complete the programs they are given

  2. Otherwise sent back to court for more serious/harsh punishment
• When young offenders go to court

  1. If they don't complete their assigned program

  2. If the crime they committed is very serious
• When a young offender might receive an adult sentence


  If they commit a presumptive "a" or "b" offense which includes manslaughter, attempted murder, aggravated sexual assault, or repeated serious violent offences
• Four Objectives of the YCJA:

  The four objectives of the YCJA are to

  -prevent crime from happening

  -rehabilitate the young person

  -integrate them into society

  -ensure they get a meaningful consequence to protect the society

  -separate adults from youth because of youths' reduced maturity level
• Has the YCJA been successful?

  The YCJA has been very successful as through the years there are lots of instances where the amount of youth crime has dropped significantly Also it states that most youth only commit crimes once since the justice system is so effective. 
• What is a Youth Justice Committee?

  A Youth Justice Committee is made up of different members of the community who want to help. They believe that breaking the law harms everyone in the community, so the community should try and help come up with a solution. The committees also believe in balancing physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional aspects of a person's development. 
• We adopted Sentencing Circles from the Indigenous culture.