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Young Offenders Act & Related Laws
In Canada and the United States among other countries, young offenders are handled with care and protection of the criminal justice system. The times and seriousness of youth offences have changed dramatically. The laws fail to respond to these facts. The laws are strong and fundamental in principal and reasoning. The idea that a young offender should be awarded the chance to change the unacceptable
behavior and attitudes is a noble reasoning. The protection of the young offenders rights and identity go along way to giving that offender a chance to try again. The law was to be more lenient on kids who break a window or steal a candy bar from the corner grocery. A child who spray paints a wall and a teen that experiments with alcohol or marijuana deserve to have a second chance. They know what they have done is wrong and they took that chance. They should be accountable for those actions and this is a great place to initiate restorative justice. If they steal a candy bar from the corner grocer, maybe they should clean the garbage from the grocer’s parking lot for a week. If they spray paint a wall, they should be forced to repaint the wall and do something else in order to make up the cost of the paint and supplies. When a youth rapes another or attacks a person the young offender laws should cease to cover these violent crimes. The identity of these youth should not be kept from the community and more severe consequences imposed. With a three strikes policy on minor
offences, the youth would be allowed three minor offences under the young offenders protection. After that, they are automatically charged, as an adult would be. They by this time have no doubt that their actions are unacceptable and need to be held to a higher accountability. When a child or youth is charged with a serious crime that involves violence, they should not be afforded the luxury of protection under the young offender laws. Kids know that violence is unacceptable from a very young age. If parents fail to teach this, they still know what is right and wrong through society. Whether that is school, friends, other relatives etc. If they are allowed the protection of the young offenders laws until they reach the age of majority, there is a strong possibility that they will continue to re-offend knowing the leniency that will be afforded to them. I know of many young offenders that when asked when they will stop their criminal
behavior respond, “When I am 18. All of the charges I face now and until then will be sealed and will not effect the rest of my life so it is ok for now.” Adults who prey on children to do their activities such as running drugs, robberies etc. also know that the kids will get a slap on the hand by the judicial system. Thus it is a low risk to them when they recruit kids to conduct illegal activities for their own financial gain. These attitudes would take a dramatic change given the implementation of a three strikes rule and zero tolerance and protection on violent and weapons related charges. The youth and parents must be held accountable for these actions. It is time for society to realize that there is a line that has been blurred between acceptable and unacceptable
behavior. It must be clear and consistent. We are allowing to many lawyers and special interest groups to get rich on the cost of our children. There is no money in stopping crime for the politicians, lawyers, judges, prison guards, social workers, probation officers, law enforcement and others working in the system. If we rely solely on their actions to stop crime, we are never going to see the end of violence and crime. It should not be said that all law enforcement, judges etc are corrupt and do not want to make a difference because most of them would love to work themselves out of a job. We should just be getting more involved as a society in demanding changes. Youth know what is right and what is wrong. Make them accountable for their actions. If a youth knew that he / she was going to be identified on the evening news for stealing an elderly persons purse, they would not do it. They know it is wrong and they would not want all of their peers to know what they had done. If they had been caught three times for stealing candy and they knew that the next time, they would be treated in a much harsher manner and that it would effect them long term, they would be less inclined to do it a fourth time. If they knew they were going to be treated as an adult and the effects of robbing the local gas station were to be grounds for waiving the privileges of young offender protection, they would be less inclined to do so. If a teen knew that carrying a handgun was automatic grounds for adult penalties, they would be less inclined to carry that gun. Kids and youth are not stupid in any way and it is time the courts stop treating them so. Let’s restore a sense of values and responsibility in our youth. For today and a better world for the next generation. This is a problem in society that nobody wants to stand up and be accountable for his or her actions any more. Each person should be held accountable as should society be accountable. The longer we go without this basic principal, the harder it will be to restore such. If you suffered in your life, deal with it, learn from it, and get over it. Don’t allow your past to determine your future. If your past was unpleasant and you do not deal with it and leave it there, your future is destined to be unpleasant as well. We have the ability to change because we were meant to.
CONTACT END YOUTH VIOLENCE
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