NCJ Number
128738
Date Published
1987
Length
146 pages
Annotation
The simple incarceration of violent young offenders ensures the protection of society in the short-term, but the elimination of violent behavioral tendencies is a more long-term solution.
Abstract
Canada's Young Offenders Act stipulates that the special needs of youthful offenders must be recognized and considered in the determination of a suitable disposition and that society must be granted sufficient protection from the further criminal behavior of young offenders. Correctional treatment programs sanctioned by law should return children and youth to a normal state of functioning. Nonetheless, it is highly unlikely that young offenders so socially maladjusted that they commit serious and violent crimes would willingly submit to treatment designed to alter and improve their behavior. To ensure that correctional program administrators and practitioners operate within legitimate boundaries, some form of accreditation should be instituted whereby the effectiveness of therapeutic techniques is assessed. Further, periodic review by an accrediting agency or organization will help maintain quality programming for youthful offenders. The paucity of programs available in Canada to meet the needs of violent young offenders reinforces the urgency of developing programs for this offender group. If young offenders convicted of violent offenses are housed in secure facilities, treatment programs should be implemented to rehabilitate them. Programs for adolescent, juvenile, and young offenders are described in an appendix. An annotated bibliography is provided. 61 references