Press Release:
This morning Minister of Justice and Attorney General Meter Packay announced proposed revisions to the Youth Criminal Justice Act that would allow adult sentences for young offenders aged 11-14. Under the current YCJA only young offenders ages 14-18 may be considered for adult sentences based on the severity of their crimes. “What it means to be an adolescent in today’s society is changing, and their crimes are changing as well. The current YCJA has sent kids the message that they can get away with whatever they want because they are still developing; this is unacceptable as everyone who puts our society in danger must be held accountable.” Hon. Meter Packay
Our Response:
The P.A. Party strongly believes that allowing youth ages 11-14 to receive an adult sentences wouldn’t be beneficial for society or the individuals. Under Youth Criminal Justice Act programs, there has been a success rate of over 90% with rehabilitating and reintegrating lawbreaking youth back into society to help promote a crimeless future. Why change a system that already works profoundly well? We have concluded that the discussion of 11-14 year olds receiving adult punishments should be abolished. These youth aged 11-14 do not have the mental capacity to consider the consequences of their actions, and they are not mature enough for an adult sentence. Everyone was a child once, should one decision ruin their entire lives when they can’t even fully comprehend right from wrong? No. Still, our party recognizes that youth who commits certain crimes of great severity, such as murder, should not be allowed to continue and function within society until they receive professional and on-going guidance. This is why youth ages 11-14 should not idle in jail, but acquire a form of intensive rehabilitation. It should be our main priority to solve the underlying problem and form outstanding community members instead of using jail as our only solution. Who’s to say they won’t go out and offend again? We know they should be punished, but instead we are introducing and sustaining this reconstructive way of helping youth. Harsher YCJA sentences are an option for the more serious cases, but we believe that the system works well the way it is, and it is still very well suited for the society of today. Crime rates are not on the rise. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Crime rates are continuously going down, and have been since the Young Offender Act was introduced, which later became the YCJA.
The system is working, so there is no need to change it.
For more government-trusted information on the YCJA, please refer to these websites.
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ReplyDelete90% success rate? Who says? And, I am afraid of kids who think that murder is ok. Especially if they will be allowed to live alongside me if they commit a crime.. What will the "intensive rehabilitation" look like? I don't know... I want to be safe in my society, even if the danger is from other kids.
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