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Young Offenders

There should be no special treatment for convicted young offenders. They should be treaded as adults.

In the year of 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. 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 treatment of children under the Juvenile Delinquents Act did not conform to Canadian human rights legislation.
The guiding principles of the Young Offenders Act include the following young people who commit offences must take responsibility for their actions. However, young people have special needs and cannot be held accountable for their illegal actions in the same way as adults. Society has a right to be protected from offences committed by youth. However, where possible, it is in society's best interest to address youth crime through social and community based solutions, rather than incarceration. Children have legal rights and freedoms, including those outlined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Parents have the right to be notified of all court proceedings affecting their child.
Major Differences between the Young Offenders Act and the Juvenile Delinquents Act
The legalistic approach of the Young Offenders Act represents a major change in legislation dealing with the treatment of juvenile delinquents.
· Instead of being charged with delinquency, children are charged with violating a specific statute or section of the Criminal Code. The sentence should reflect the seriousness of the crime.
· The Young Offenders Act's authority does not extend to provincial laws and statutes. In addition, it is no longer possible to transfer jurisdiction over certain cases to the provinces.
· It discontinues the practice of charging children with "status offences" that are not illegal for...