DCHP-2

young offender DCHP-2 (December 2016)

• n. — Law

  a criminal under the age of majority.

  Type: 1. Origin — The legal definition of the term young offender has changed with different youth criminal acts that have been in effect in Canada. The age range of 10-17 is given by the current Youth Criminal Justice Act, passed in 2003, which replaced the earlier Canadian Young Offenders Act, which defined a young offender as between the ages of 12-17. The Young Offenders Act was passed in 1984, and replaced the Juvenile Delinquents Act, which itself was implemented in 1908 but did not have a nation-wide age restriction. Until 1984 provinces had different age limits in effect, but most had a limit starting at 12 and inclusive of 16, 17 or 18. See also Maple Leaf Web reference. As Chart 1 shows, the term is widespread, especially in New Zealand, but in the North American context shows a Canadian dimension.
  COD-2, s.v. "young offender", defines the term as "(in Canada)".

  • 1891  I also notice that according to clause 9 a young offender would receive a light punishment, but not go to the institution, while an old offender would receive a heavy punishment, and go to this institution. A young girl who is committed for one year would not go to this institution because she would not come under clause 9--- because, according to clause 9, if under the age of 16, the sentence must be for over two years, and not exceeding five years. The effect of that is this: that a young offender, and one who, to my mind, would be more likely to be influenced for good in an institution of this kind, would not go there, while an old offender, who would get a heavier punishment on account of being an old offender, would go to this institution. 
  • 1894  As to an industrial school for the reformation of young offenders, that is quite another matter. 
  • 1952  Hare is employed as a group supervisor at the Young Offender's Unit at Oakalla. 
  • 1971  The measure, introduced four months ago overhauls the legal procedures for dealing with young people who get into trouble with the law. Its most important and contentious feature abolishes the general offense of juvenile delinquency and substitutes a procedure under which young people must be charged with a specific criminal offense. [...] The maximum age for treatment as a young offender is raised to 17 from 16, although some provinces already have a maximum age of 18. 
  • 1982  People who have studied the proposed Young Offenders Act (Bill C-61) say it is riddled with problems but philosophically sound and a vast improvement over the antiquated Juvenile Delinquents Act, which it is designed to replace. 
  • 1985  The youth's identity cannot be revealed in news reports under the Young Offenders Act. 
  • 1988  Brian Weagant, legal counsel to Justice for Children, a community legal clinic financed by the Ontario Legal Aid Plan, said he believes the program announced by Mr. Scott does not mean young offenders will be getting off lightly. 
  • 1995  Too much money is spent on dealing with young people in the justice system and not enough on teaching them to be healthy and responsible, concludes the report. It says lack of investment in community programs drives up costs in the long run as governments spend more on police, courts and jails. Some $380 million is spent annually to lock up young offenders. 
  • 1998  "I think the old act is flawed and I think Canadians lack confidence in the Young Offenders Act." McLellan said greater protection of the public is the main aim of the new act, which will tentatively be called the Youth Criminal Justice Act and will continue to apply to young people aged 12 to 17. The new act, which officials hope will be in place by next spring, will have three main elements: crime prevention, finding alternatives to jail for a broader range of crimes and imposing stiffer treatment on extreme offenders. Tougher treatment for the most serious young offenders will include allowing them to be publicly named in some cases to make them more accountable for their actions. 
  • 2003  Youth officers with Waterloo regional police say they welcome new federal legislation that tries to keep teenagers out of jail. The Youth Criminal Justice Act is set to become law in April. The new act, which shifts emphasis to community-based programs to help curb youth crime, replaces the controversial Young Offenders Act, adopted in 1984. 
  • 2005  It's only the second IRCS order to be made in Nova Scotia, and the 13th in the country. The new sentencing option became available under the Youth Criminal Justice Act in April 2003. It allows individualized plans of treatment, rehabilitation and community supervision to be developed for young offenders with mental health issues convicted of serious, violent crimes. Up to $100,000 a year in special funding is made available per youth. In order to meet the criteria for an IRCS order, the court had to prove the teen was suffering from a mental disorder and had at least three convictions for what would be considered serious, violent offences. 
  • 2013  Claire Roy, a spokeswoman for Batshaw Youth and Family Centres, the agency that often takes charge of aboriginal young offenders once they arrive in Montreal, said that all of Quebec's youth centres work together to try to find a bed for youths in need. If one agency doesn't have a bed, the youth protection agency responsible for the young offender is responsible for making other arrangements until a bed becomes available.