"The Great Young Offenders Act Debate", compiled by Stephen R. Biss

Organize the information presented in the survey into clear positions on the Young Offenders Act.Choose a position on the issue and present this position in response format.

The format for response may be a blog, letter, journal or personal .

Remember to consider the arguments presented in the survey and include details from the survey feedback

crimes are to warrant a jail sentence or something harsher. The Great Young As you read, make a chart showing which points raised in the survey you Offenders Act Debate agree and disagree with. Compiled by STEPHEN R. Bliss WEB SITE SURVEY Visitors to Stephen Bliss's Web site were invited to e-mail their thoughts on the following questions: . For what criminal offences should young The Great Young Offenders Act Debate persons receive sentences of jail (open or secure custody)? . For what criminal offences should young persons receive non-custodial sentences? I think that it would be appropriate for anyone who breaks the law by killing or having possession of a gun to be charged as an adult. I believe this because this is a serious crime and should be treated seriously. You should start jailing young people when you see a pattern in their behaviour. If they have stolen something once, it could have been were doing and should be punished for their peer pressure from their friends. I am not saying crime. If you just get the kids therapy, then they that they shouldn't get in trouble for their crime, but they also shouldn't get jailed for it. If they are going to think they can get off that easily the continue stealing, then jailing them would be next time they go out and shoot someone appropriate. If they kill someone, on the other hand, they should be locked up right away. If a The root cause of 80 percent of cases starts child is 10 years old and he/she kills someone, with family problems such as divorce between he/she should not be able to get off as easily as parents, lack of attention the YOA lets them. I believe they knew what they tention, love, caring, etc. given to children by their parents. It is the parents' responsibility to teach their children good things 136 Crimes, Criminals, and JI have a 16-year-old stepbrother who is undergo counselling or some form of involved with the law. He has a lot of charges and rehabilitation, and make up for what they have done, then jail time is not necessary, Jail should now is being charged with breach of probation, only be enforced upon the people who continue fraud, and theft under [$5000]. When will the law finally realize that the sentencing they give to re-offend and show no desire to change, when the last resort is hard time. Although has to be increased? The law is too light on "hard time" is somewhat of a joke in Canada. young offenders, and I think that in order for them to learn, sentencing has to be high! I think kids should go to jail if they kill I do not believe in jail cells for our someone. young people. Each person should be judged I think that jail is never right for anyone individually. We have to address the reasons under the age of 18. behind the crime. I know many misunderstood youths, and what they need is a clinic, some I am a student who is attending college wins in life, some direction, and faith in and I know that the justice system is not tough themselves to clear the hurdles they encounter enough on young offenders. My goal is to in the cruel world they live in. People have been become a police officer, and I don't want to see too critical. It's so easy to judge others. Try so many young people throw everything away by walking [a mile in the shoes] of one of these committing petty crimes. I hope that our system kids and see how you cope. can find a way to deal with people fairly. There are many people who are accused of crimes where they have never got into trouble with the Juveniles must be made to serve long- law, and the courts have to see that something term sentences for presumptive offences wrong may have happened and the person may (murder, aggravated sexual assault, assaults have been innocent. I hope that things can involving serious violence and grave bodily change for the better for everyone in our society. harm), repeat violent offences, and crimes involving the use of weapons (knives, I feel that as long as the person the crime knuckledusters, spiked bats, machetes). If we are was committed against was not seriously hurt, to be serious about curbing senseless and and the juvenile perpetrator can show evidence barbaric acts of violence, a step in the right of positive supervision in the home and direction would be to make these brave community, the child should be sentenced to individuals serve their entire sentence in prison house arrest. I think that throwing these kids into jail or juvenile detention is ensuring that without parole, give them a mat to sleep on and these children return to society even more a few changes of garb. Regardless of what violent and angry. If we do not begin to show anybody says about rehabilitation, when you're our children some compassion, we can be dealing with hardened anti-social behaviour, assured that eventually a more violent and time is the best form of rehab. We must realize savage society will be created in the near future. that no matter how hard we work on the preventive end of things, crimes of serious violence will continue to occur in Canada. We 138 Crimes, Criminals, and JusticeI have a 16-year-old stepbrother who is undergo counselling or some form of involved with the law. He has a lot of charges and rehabilitation, and make up for what they have done, then jail time is not necessary. Jail should now is being charged with breach of probation , only be enforced upon the people who continue fraud, and theft under [ $5000]. When will the law finally realize that the sentencing they give to re-offend and show no desire to change, when the last resort is hard time. Although has to be increased? The law is too light on "hard time" is somewhat of a joke in Canada. young offenders, and I think that in order for them to learn, sentencing has to be high! I think kids should go to jail if they kill someone. I do not believe in jail cells for our young people. Each person should be judged I think that jail is never right for anyone individually. We have to address the reasons under the age of 18. behind the crime. I know many misunderstood youths, and what they need is a clinic, some I am a student who is attending college wins in life, some direction, and faith in and I know that the justice system is not tough themselves to clear the hurdles they encounter enough on young offenders. My goal is to in the cruel world they live in. People have been become a police officer, and I don't want to see too critical. It's so easy to judge others. Try so many young people throw everything away by walking [a mile in the shoes] of one of these committing petty crimes. I hope that our system kids and see how you cope. can find a way to deal with people fairly. There are many people who are accused of crimes where they have never got into trouble with the Juveniles must be made to serve long- law, and the courts have to see that something term sentences for presumptive offences wrong may have happened and the person may (murder, aggravated sexual assault, assaults have been innocent. I hope that things can involving serious violence and grave bodily change for the better for everyone in our society. harm), repeat violent offences, and crimes involving the use of weapons (knives, I feel that as long as the person the crime knuckledusters, spiked bats, machetes). If we are was committed against was not seriously hurt, to be serious about curbing senseless and and the juvenile perpetrator can show evidence barbaric acts of violence, a step in the right of positive supervision in the home and direction would be to make these brave community, the child should be sentenced to house arrest. I think that throwing these kids individuals serve their entire sentence in prison into jail or juvenile detention is ensuring that without parole, give them a mat to sleep on and these children return to society even more a few changes of garb. Regardless of what violent and angry. If we do not begin to show anybody says about rehabilitation, when you're our children some compassion, we can be dealing with hardened anti-social behaviour, assured that eventually a more violent and time is the best form of rehab. We must realize savage society will be created in the near future. that no matter how hard we work on the preventive end of things, crimes of serious violence will continue to occur in Canada. We 138 Crimes, Criminals, and Justicecan do little to stop it. But we can do a lot to manage it, especially when it comes to shape of the leaves on a tree. It just doesn't preventing repeat offences. Minors who choose work. Let the sociopaths have life but maker to perpetrate violence against other human sure it's different from the life that law-abiding and non-violent Canadians are entided to beings must realize and be made to pay for their There's nothing wrong with living the rest of actions. Why as Canadians do we continue to one's natural life in prison. There is everything dutter our natural instincts and simple logic by wrong, however, with risking the lives of other diving into the minds of sociopaths and trying potential innocent victims to appease the wishes to alter their thought patterns? I've never of the sociopath to return to societe We take for understood that. It's like trying to change the too many risks with criminals in Canada You take it from here ... Responding In a small group, discuss the chart you made ats students think, and try to reach acan do little to stop it. But we can do a lot to manage it, especially when it comes to preventing repeat offences. Minors who choose shape of the leaves on a tree. It just doesn't to perpetrate violence against other human work. Let the sociopaths have life, but make sure it's different from the life that law-abiding beings must realize and be made to pay for their and non-violent Canadians are entitled to. actions. Why as Canadians do we continue to There's nothing wrong with living the rest of clutter our natural instincts and simple logic by one's natural life in prison. There is everything diving into the minds of sociopaths and trying wrong, however, with risking the lives of other to alter their thought patterns? I've never potential innocent victims to appease the wishes understood that. It's like trying to change the of the sociopath to return to society. We take far too many risks with criminals in Canada. You take it from here ... sponding points In a small group, discuss the chart you made what other students think, and try to reach a jail sentences. Designate a note- oup. Then present your surveyTherefore in a child makes any trouble I would sar the parents deserve punishment too. Ing Mail is appropriate for any age and gender. Debate Think that this is a very tricky question to answer The basis of our entire justice system is rehabilitation and not punishment. Many of the respondents have replied "whatever fits the time " like rape and murder. But I believe every case is different, and every child has a different background to their cases. When a six-year-old shoots and kills anot realize that they might have no rear-old, we have to what they have done. To send them to jail is to anding of Sswiss society's problems without truly looking by hardened criminals, we are alienating these at the circumstances and consequences as such. troubled youths from the society in which they must exist. Surely we as Canadians have decided jail is appropriate when the person has that our justice system is based on rehabilitation Some something to ruin someone's life (hence the absence of a death penalty), and we completely. Suppose I kill someone-it would must promote the socialization of juveniles over be only right to send me to jail or give me the the potentially dehumanizing experience of death penalty. years in prison. jail is appropriate for all offences no jail is appropriate whenever the person is old enough to understand what they are doing! matter how small. I think the Young Offenders Act is a great Youths who commit crimes, regardless of what their crimes are, should be tried as adults. way to teach youths that there are other people It doesn't make sense that a 17-year-old can around them and that they should care more for commit the same crime as an 18-year-old, and others. I think jail is appropriate for people 12 the 17-year-old's maximum sentence is and over. If they are younger, then their parents considerably shorter than the adult's. They both should be charged for letting this situation grow knew what they were doing, it's just that one over the years to get so bad. was lucky enough to fall under the Young Offenders Act. If you do the crime you must be I think that we have to realize the able to do the time, regardless of your age. consequences of putting young people in jail. By isolating them from society and placing lail is appropriate when the crime is them in a situation where they are surrounded irreversible. If the offender can express remorse. The Great Young Offenders Act Debate 137