Chapter 11 - Youth Justice in Canada Flashcards
delinquents
An outdated term for young people who committed criminal acts.
status offence
Under the Juvenile Delinquents Act, this term refers to actions that were not
considered crimes for adults but were unlawful for youth, such as drinking alcohol.
age–crime curve
Involvement in crime increases during early adolescence, peaks during the teenage years and early adulthood, and then decreases throughout adulthood (some social scientists call this “aging out” of crime).
indentured servants
Workers who were bound by a contract to work without pay for a given period of time; this included abandoned or orphaned children who immigrated to Canada and were placed with families for several years until they could “work off” the costs of their travel to Canada.
training schools
Secure placements that were similar to today’s secure custody facilities (also called reformatories, reform schools, or industrial schools).
Taking no further action:
The police officer takes no response to a complaint or incident.
Police warning
The officer informally warns the youth that his or her continued wrongdoing will result in more formal interventions.
Police caution:
The officer takes a more formal approach and may write a letter to the youth (or to their parents), or the officer may ask to meet at the police station to discuss the youth’s behaviour.
Referral
Youth are sometimes referred to community-based treatment that might be related to their offending. For example, if a
youth has an alcohol problem that leads to involvement in theft, a referral for an alcohol assessment may be appropriate.
Crown caution:
the Crown prosecutor might decide to caution the youth after the case has been transferred to the prosecution unit.
Extrajudicial sanction:
These sanctions are the most formal and involve participation in programs established by the provinces, which may involve some restorative justice approaches such as volunteer work, community service work, or making some form of compensation to the victim(s).
personal service order
Requires a youthful offender to compensate the crime victims through work supervised by a youth probation officer.
bail supervision
Allows a youth accused of a crime to remain in the community even though there may be a lack of specialized mental health or child welfare services that he or she requires.
deferred custody
Provides youth with an opportunity to serve their custodial sentence in the community, but if they do not abide by the conditions of their release, judges can order the youth to serve the remainder of their sentence in custody.
intensive support and supervision
Enhanced supervision that is provided to youth who are considered to be at high risk or to have high needs.