🚀 go-pugleaf

On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 10:45:06 GMT, while chained to a desk in the
scriptorium, "Ian 'Tay' Landry, MA MSW" <tay@eastlink.ca> wrote:
> $Determinator wrote:
> $> John Fleming wrote:
> $>
> $>> On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 02:56:09 GMT, while chained to a desk in the
> $>> scriptorium, "X" <X@fake.email> wrote:
> $>>
> $>>
> $>>> $In Canada - a youth murder sentence is pretty will over with by the 
> $>>> time a $youth turns 18 so they can have a clean adult record.  Sad, 
> $>>> but true.  Back $a few years ago - a youth broke into a church, 
> $>>> murdered the priest for a few $bucks, in youth detention until 18, 
> $>>> then released.  Name held secret.
> $>>
> $>> That's one of the sad things about our youth justice system.  Kids can
> $>> get away, almost literally, with murder.
> $>>
> $> A decade that would be true however these days I would disagree... for 
> $> serious crimes more youth are being tried as an adult.
> $
> $It is much easier to do this under the Youth Justice Act than it was 
> $under the Young Offenders Act

On the flip side of the coin, however, under the Youth Criminal Justice
Act, there is a lot more emphasis on community corrections.

> $>> I'd like to see kids who have been in trouble with the law three times
> $>> automatically transfered to adult court and treated as adults.  That
> $>> means adult sentences.  That also means, ta da, getting their names
> $>> published in the paper as well.
> $>
> $> It's called "dangerous offender" and it's already being done in Alberta.
> $
> $It is done all accross Canada under the YJA - the Crown must apply for it.

I think here I am also thinking of something a bit broader than would be
covered under typical dangerous offender legislation.  Dangerous
offender status is usually for serious offenses against the
person---especially sexual offences.

> $>> If we aren't getting through their thick skulls the first couple of
> $>> times around, then we need to take steps to protect the public.
> $>
> $>
> $> I believe Stats Canada says that youth crime rates are on a general 
> $> decline over past twenty years.
> $
> $Yup, and not just Stats Can.  This is supported by a significant amount 
> $of independent research done by universities.  The rough estimate is 
> $that youth crime is down between 20 - 30% over the last 20 years. 
> $However, other studies show that media coverage of youth crime is up by 
> $approximately the same amount.  Crime against seniors is also down, but 
> $seniors are more afraid than ever to leave their homes for fear of 
> $becoming a victim.  Guess what, media coverage on crime against seniors 
> $is also up.

But how much of this is attributable to demographics?

I'd have to check the numnbers, but I beleive the size of the youth
cohort in the population has been decreasing since the mid 80s.

--
John Fleming
Edmonton, Canada

     A Dreamer is One Who Can Only Find Her
     Way by Moonlight.

          -- Oscar Wilde