REVISED - "If We Want To Get The Guns Off The Streets Then Let’s Get The Criminals Off Our Streets"

 

WE HAVE TO DEMAND THAT OUR GOVERNMENT REWRITES THE CURRENT YOUTH  CRIMINAL  JUSTICE  ACT AND, DEFINITIVELY, OUR BAIL SYSTEM!

First let me correct this blog for calling it the “Young Offender Act“.

(Blame the mis-title on my being 68 years old and used to referring to the YCJA by it’s predecessor’s moniker of the “YOA”, “Young Offenders Act”.)

In 1984 the YOA replaced the ancient “Juvenile Delinquent Act” (circa 1908) and it, the Young Offenders Act, was rewritten in 2003 to become the present “Youth Criminal Justice Act”.

Which is now 22 years old.

(Think how much the world has changed in the past quarter of a century.)

That said, back to the topic at hand.

The world, society, has changed, greatly, in those 22 years.

Since then the Internet and modern technology have become an everyday fact of modern life. With it came a complete change to the very way we live everyday life.

Even Ontario’s Premier Ford agrees with me that it is time to take a look at our aged Youth Criminal Justice Act and the Bail and Parole Systems.

The YCJA was to focus on rehabilitation and reintegration but also emphasize accountability and public safety. 

Is it achieving those intended goals???

Is it working or is it adding to the problem of dealing with youth who have committed serious violent crimes?

I believe that you find it is working as far as dealing with youth who have committed less serious offenses.

REALITY IS IT HAS FAILED WHEN IT COMES TO DEALING WITH THE YOUTH WHO ARE COMMITTING EXTREMELY VIOLENT CRIME.

We should all be contacting our MPP’s, MP’s, Provincial and Federal governments and demanding that this 22 year old Act is too outdated to justly deal with those youth who have committed violent crimes. Especially when it comes to those youth who have chosen to join organized gangs.

The YCJA continues to focus on rehabilitation and reintegration but also emphasizes accountability and public safety.

And there lies the flaw in the system ….

ACCOUNTABILITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY.

The solution lies in the laps of not only us, but also the laps of our powers that be. Our Judicial System. The Provincial Government. The Federal Government.

Our Bail and Parole Systems are equally antiquated and in need of serious revision and restructuring.

Time for change.

Positive change!