Youth Justice

Should a young offender be given a harsh sentence or reintegrated into society?
The first act for youth justice was the Juvenile Delinquents Act of 1908. This act was on the punishment side. The second act was the Young Offenders Act of 1998. This act focused on the responsibility of young persons for consequences of their behavior. This was also on the punishment side. The third and most recent act is the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The justice system should rehabilitate young offenders and reintegrate them into society.

In 2002 the youth crime rate was at 7500 (per 100 000) but after the introduction of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, this rate dropped to approximately 6500 (per 100 000). This positive effect was also visible in the fewer number of cases that went to court. If we harshly punish young offenders, they won’t get a chance to realize their mistake and make up for it. Youth think differently than a mature adult, so they will handle situations differently too. They might make the wrong decision but it is the justice system’s responsibility to help them realize their mistake and make sure they don’t do it again. This can be done without cruelty and punishment.  

It is important that the justice system starts to set examples for youth and instead of just giving them the proverbial "slap-on-the-wrist" they should start treating them as they deserve to be treated. Firstly, their names most definitely should be printed in the news and spread throughout the media, I think society has the right to that knowledge. It's frightening to live amongst unknown criminals, who we could just as easily be made aware of. It would be wise, and fair to learn the identity of those young criminals who pervade our streets and corrupt others. Punishment of youth criminals should be swift, certain and severe, of course the severity is depending on the crime. But punishment most definitely should be the top priority for those deciding upon the fate of said youth. By...