Criminology Proposal Draft (2)

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How effective is the youth justice system in responding to youth crime? Barna Balint CRIM/SOSC 1650 6.0, Introduction to Criminology Tutorial 5 Mathew Montevirgen November 2nd, 2021 1

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOUTH JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR YOUTH CRIME The concept of the youth justice system was created to guarantee that the punishments for young people who violate the law are balanced. I have conducted extensive research addressing the following question: How effective is the youth justice system in responding to youth crime? In today’s world, we live in a society that is constantly changing, for the better or worse. When something is implemented into the law or society, we usually cannot understand how effective it is because “Effectiveness is best measured over time” (Richard Tyler). Throughout my research paper, I have discovered that many things are substandard than what the youth justice system says to be. Many youths are not getting the proper treatment to positively affect their lives and help dig them out of the situation which they are in at the moment. In addition, in many cases, youths are not given slack due to their immaturity as the Youth Criminal Justice Act promises. Furthermore, many programs and staff are targeted to work only with the youth rather than the environment and other factors surrounding them. I strongly believe this question is very important to look at and conduct research due to the fact that although there have been many changes and additions to the youth justice system, seeing how effective it is can help understand what works and what does not to respond to youth crime correctly. 2

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOUTH JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR YOUTH CRIME Doob, Anthony N. and Carla Cesaroni (2004) Responding to Youth Crime in Canada. Toronto, CA: University of Toronto Press. In the book, Responding to Youth Crime in Canada, Anthony N. Doob and Carla Cesaroni (2004) state “Interventions into the lives of young people can have positive impacts” (p. 269). This refers to youth prevention through effective rehabilitation, learning, and development techniques. To support this argument, both researchers gathered primary research from youths living all across Canada collecting through interviews, overseeing the youth’s life, and using hundreds of reports. They discuss the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) theory, youth crime statistics, and the multiple ways the youth justice system can effectively sentence youth depending on the circumstances. In addition, many discussions in this book signify the importance of the YCJA act which was founded on April 1st, 2003, and the ways it has benefitted and helped tackle many Judicial System laws which have assisted in changing an ineffective youth criminal system. The YCJA is a tool/theory used in sentencing youth crime and according to the study it has had a moderate impact on the crime rates. The authors educate the readers of the youth justice system and how they operate. Thus, it is argued that further research and programs created for youth could reduce lifelong sentences for youth offenders with bad upbringings, low economic standing, and other negative factors in their life. Finally, Doob and Cesaroni (2004) state that the judicial system cannot be relied on to solve problems associated with youth crime and the crime rate in Canada as other approaches to determining youth crime are required. For these reasons, this book is relevant to my research question as it discusses many areas that the justice system affects the past, present, and future lives of youthful offenders. In addition, using Doob and Cesaroni (2004) information will help understand methods used in the current youth justice 3

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THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOUTH JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR YOUTH CRIME system to help transform the lives of youth offenders. To further expand, it is important to know what is in effect at the moment to further analyze if something is effective or not which then I will discuss its progression for my final essay. 4

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOUTH JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR YOUTH CRIME Pickford, Jane (2000) Youth Justice: Theory and Crime. London, UK: Cavendish Publishing Limited. In the paper, Youth Justice: Theory and Practice, Jane Pickford (2000) commences the idea that within the Criminal Justice System, youth crime has been a serious topic for many years but they fail to take effective action. Pickford (2000) raises many red flags in the way that justice is enforced on youth as she explains that the latest steps, in reality, do not reflect a new solution but rather, they are just working on the same problem differently. This is explained in the text that “Juvenile offenders are stripped of their childhood status, their needs are overlooked or ignored, while the ultimate objective of the juvenile justice system is to punish the child” (p. 99). Throughout this book, the author uses cases that offer a variety of explanations on how youth were affected through the Crime and Disorder Act in 1998 and the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act in 1999. Each case throughout the book proves this in detail with the idea of doli incapax but working against it is the progression of good and effective evidence created to incarcerate vulnerable witnesses during court. In addition, recently the media and information on youth crime have been seen to be totally out of control. This book brings in many statistics and concepts made by social workers, police, and people in the legal justice system which provides views on how youth crime is affected by culture and international law and how it has changed over the years. The presented information in each essay is going to help me analyze and see if throughout all of the knowledge gathered over decades of years, is youth crime prevention programs, sentences and such, are making a positive and effective change. It is evident to understand that although this research has been made in the United Kingdom, we share many aspects and knowledge throughout the criminal system today which is why it is relevant. After all, one would think 5

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOUTH JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR YOUTH CRIME that we should always be using our statistics and knowledge to help improve the lives of young offenders but Pickford (2000) proposes otherwise. 6

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THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOUTH JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR YOUTH CRIME Totten, Mark (2009) “Aboriginal Youth and Violent Gang Involvement in Canada : Quality Prevention Strategies” University of Ottawa IPC. 3(1): 135-156. In the paper, Aboriginal Youth and Violent Gang Involvement in Canada: Quality Prevention Strategies, Mark Totten (2009) states that aboriginal youth gang violence and suicide rates have spiked to their highest peak ever more than any other group in Canada. Totten (2009) has gathered first-hand research through the aboriginal regions by doing surveys and observing their lifestyles, stating that the media and the amount of information we know about them is very low. In fact, most of us don’t know it’s occurring which is why it needs to be a high priority before it gets out of control. In addition, he has gathered numerous information on what works and what doesn’t. He mentions programs such as Group Creating Healthy Aboriginal Role Models (CHARM), Traditional detached-worker programs, and much more, giving us an extensive analysis of how it impacted the community, specifically youth, with the effectiveness of life or changing one’s future of criminal behaviors. To add, Totten (2009) mentions the fact that their availability and resource to simple support is very low, this might be the ultimate reason numbers are growing rapidly. Nevertheless, in the aboriginal culture, they don’t like to face judges as it is against their ancestor’s belief of facing your problems which is why Totten (2009) explains, they would just rather take jail time instead of appearing in court. Lastly, he hypothesized that if money and time are used in aboriginal crime research “Results indicated that gang members who participated in more individual counseling sessions were more likely to reduce involvement in gang activities''(145). Ultimately change can be made, but the right actions have to be thought through and planned. As a result, this journal will help me see the importance of having equal access to programs in rural areas which the youth justice system 7

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOUTH JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR YOUTH CRIME claims to have. It also signifies the importance of the need for extensive research which is made to understand why certain things happen and how they can be fixed. At the end of the day, if we don’t take action and try to make a change now, aboriginal youth in specific may influence other groups to act the same as them. 8

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOUTH JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR YOUTH CRIME Underwood, Lee A. and Aryssa Washington (2016) “Mental Illness and Juvenile Offenders” Public Health . 13(2): 228. This paper, Mental Illness and Juvenile Offenders, Lee A. Underwood and Aryssa Washington (2016) states that juvenile detention systems need to improve their mental health support with youth directly in need to help better their current and future mental and emotional state. To support their argument, both researchers gathered primary and secondary data from all across youth detention centers across North America using interview methods, surveys, and seeing how they live and interact from a day-to-day basis. In addition, many barriers are not publicly announced such as many staff have very low training and resources to make an effective change within the 4 fields being education, child protection, mental health, and juvenile justice. They have concluded that access and quality are very poor implying the current system is inefficient. Throughout the journal, Underwood and Washington (2016) bring in some statistics found by Trupin and Boesky gathered in the 1900s and use their results to compare and analyze the change over the years. They have concluded that changes have been made across all platforms, but mental health has been excluded from many centers and is “ left unequipped to deal with the acute needs of youth with mental health disorders ” (p. 2). Finally , over the years the justice system has realized that youth should not be charged as adults and that shift has been made but what Underwood and Washington address is that numbers have been decreasing but the severity of those who have been diagnosed has been increasing. Overall, this journal has been very influential in a way that society has stepped away from punishing and abusing youth for crimes and trying to give them a second chance through rehabilitation and deterrence. What I have concluded from this article and has helped me further analyze my question, is that although the justice 9

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THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOUTH JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR YOUTH CRIME system is trying to make a difference with these programs, they are not succeeding because they don't properly fund them, ultimately meaning they are wasting their money and won't benefit the youth. 10

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOUTH JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR YOUTH CRIME Vallée, Michel (2010) “Crime Prevention and Community Safety: A conceptual overview” International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies. 1(1): 1-20. In the journal, Crime Prevention and Community Safety: A conceptual overview, Michel Vallée (2010) gives an overview of the major shift in Canada in regards to youth incarceration surrounding criminals and victimization. Throughout the article, Vallée (2010) sets out a clear discussion of the different ways crime prevention in the justice system maintains a safe, healthy, and well-being environment along with the children being incarcerated. Michel Vallée (2010) obtained information through numerous polls, interviews, and secondary scholarly research is done across Canada. In addition, this article includes Crawford’s research done in 1998 which Vallée (2010) was able to relate to the topic on the reasons youth commit crimes in the first place and how it affects them later in regards to how we take action towards it today. Vallée (2010) takes time to discuss various interventions such as development crime, situational and social crime, and community crime and how they can be implemented to affect a youth’s prevention of coming back to court before or after being criminalized. Thus, these programs are also very cost-effective and very impactful. Vallée (2010) identifies that the justice system at its current state in Canada is not preventing the overall quality of youth incarceration as the police and other sources say. It is indicated in the article that “A comprehensive strategy should be designed to address the multiple risks and protective factors associated with crime and victimization at the individual, family, community, and societal level” (p. 15) to not only decrease the numbers of short-term incarcerations but to also make a positive and lasting effect long-term. As a result, the big focus of this article is that full support partnership with the Community Safety and Crime 11

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOUTH JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR YOUTH CRIME Prevention (NSCSCP) will allow a better overall quality to intervene and positively affect a youth’s life. This article helps me identify various ways the youth justice system can use the resources they have now as a structure to build and manipulate and to further affect the way youth are being treated as we’ve established that it is not effective. Finally, this article also gave different ideas of programs and manipulation techniques that have to be done to shift the concept of youth as the ‘Victim’ to their parents and community are at fault. The stereotypes of the children being at fault are what need exceptional mentoring and rehabilitation. 12

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Criminology Proposal Draft (2)

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