Introduction - Young offenders
Now we’re going to look at crime from the view point of Justice Ministers. In Canada, a new Youth Criminal Justice Act was introduced. Do you think that criminals think about consequences and punishments before they commit crimes? If punishments were more severe, would they think twice? Or does it make no difference? And should minors be treated in the same way as adults? Why /why not?
This second section contains 4 steps. Work them through step by step.
Step
Activity
1 Reading
Read a text about Crime and Punishment. Do the exercise.
2 Words
Match words with their definition. Complete sentences with verbs in the correct form.
3 Grammar
Exercises and theory of Past perfect tense. About reported speech, examples and sentences.
Some years ago, Anne McLellan, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, introduced the new Youth Criminal Justice Act, which replaces the Young Offenders Act (YOA) as part of the Government of Canada’s Youth Justice Strategy. The government decided to overhaul the youth justice system in response to what Canadians were telling them, “Most had lost confidence in the Young Offenders Act. The system didn’t seem to be working very well, with more young people in jail for relatively minor offences.” Throwing children or teenagers into prisons designed for adults makes no sense, says the federal justice minister. The proposed legislation drew criticism from the opposition Reform party for being too easy on youth who get in trouble with the law. The Reform party wants the age of offenders covered by the law to be lowered to 10 from 12 and says youth older than 15 should be automatically transferred to adult court.
“Putting kids in jail, though sometimes necessary, is not an effective response to youth crime,” McLellan says. “Once you talk to Canadians, they’re the ones who tell us putting more young people in jail for longer will not make this a safer society,” she says. The legislation also proposed lowering the age of those who could get adult sentences to 14 from 16 and supervising all young offenders who have done time in jail. She feels, “We need to acknowledge that when serious things happen, there need to be meaningful consequences. “The Reform party says youth
get caught in a cycle of crime because they know there are no serious consequences.
Perhaps they’re right. Faze Teen spoke with ‘John Doe’ who at the age of 15 was charged with
Grand Theft Auto and Possession Over $1000. When asked why he did it, he responded, “I did it
for something to do – it was all for fun.” John went on to say, “I had read about the law. I knew the
worst thing that could happen was serving some community hours because I was a young offender
and it would be my first offence.” However, when we asked John if he would have still committed
the crime if he knew the consequences would be severe, he answered, “I thought I would get away
with it so it didn’t matter what the penalties were.” According to the Canadian Criminal Justice
Association, lawyers who are familiar with young offenders are unanimous in stating that, “These
youths, at the time of their offence, gave no consideration to the consequences of their actions and
that they would in no way be deterred from committing offences if they knew that their name would
be published in the paper; no more than they would be if they knew that they would be punished
more severely.”
Faze spoke with another young offender, Jane Doe. When asked what was going through her head
as she attacked a young girl with a knife, she answered, “She had provoked me for months, so at the
time, I was mad – and she was just making me madder!” At 14, Jane was charged with Aggravated
Assault with a Weapon. She recalls, “There were four teachers, two principals and several students
watching, so I knew I’d be caught but didn’t care at that time.” Would severe consequences have
deterred her from the assault? She says, “I probably still would have done it since I wasn’t thinking
about the punishment anyway.” Justice Minister, McLellan, says that the legislation is part of a wider
strategy dealing with youth crime that doesn’t always involve judges and jails, but community-based
efforts to prevent kids from becoming criminals.
Source: http://faze.ca/crime-punishment
In the exercise about this text choose the correct answer.
De onderstaande antwoorden moet je zelf nakijken; vergelijk jouw antwoorden met de goede
antwoorden, en geef aan in welke mate jouw antwoorden correct zijn.
De onderstaande antwoorden moet je zelf nakijken; vergelijk jouw antwoorden met de goede
antwoorden, en geef aan in welke mate jouw antwoorden correct zijn.
Grammar
Let's look at Past perfect tense. ‘She had provoked me for months’
‘I had read about the law.’
The Past Perfect tells us about something that happened before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past.
Example: I had never seen such a high mountain before I went to Switzerland. Example: I did not have any money because I had lost my purse.
To form the past perfect use ‘had’ + the past participle of the verb.
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb.
De onderstaande antwoorden moet je zelf nakijken; vergelijk jouw antwoorden met de goede
antwoorden, en geef aan in welke mate jouw antwoorden correct zijn.
De onderstaande antwoorden moet je zelf nakijken; vergelijk jouw antwoorden met de goede
antwoorden, en geef aan in welke mate jouw antwoorden correct zijn.
Let's look at ......reported speech.
When do we use reported speech? Sometimes someone says a sentence.
This we call a direct speech. For example:
We also can use the indirect/reported speech: The federal justice minister said that throwing children or teenagers into prisons designed for adults made no sense.
We use reported speech (or indirect speech) when we say what someone said in the past: It makes no sense. ➨ He said it made no sense.
You can use that after the reporting verb. It doesn’t change the meaning: He said it made no sense ➨ He said that it made no sense.
Change the tense!
When we report what someone said, we often put the main verb of the direct speech back one tense. Take a look at these examples:
Tense
One tense back
Direct speech
Reported speech
1. present simple
past simple
I like milk.
She said (that) she liked milk.
2. present continuous
past continuous
I am living in Amsterdam.
She said (that) she was living in Amsterdam.
3. present perfect
past perfect
I haven't seen Masja.
She said (that) she hadn't seen Masja.
4. past simple
past perfect
I bought a car.
She said (that) she had bought a car OR She said (that) she bought a car.
5. will
would
'll see you later.
She said (that) she would see me later.
6. can
could
I can speak perfect English.
She said (that) she could speak perfect English.
Change in pronoun!
You might also need to change the pronoun. e.g.: Direct speech:“I’ve visited London many times”, she said. Reported speech: She said she had visited London many times.
Rewrite these sentences using reported speech.
She said, ‘I play tennis every week”.
They said, “We’re watching TV”.
He said “I’ve finished my homework”.
She said “I’ll help you, Mum!”
Margie said “I can ride a bike”
The team coach said ‘We won the last match and we’ll win the next one”.
Step 4 - Task
Task: Writing
You are going to write a formal letter. Find out about formal letter writing here .
You were travelling to school by bus and you were looking at your phone.
When you arrived at school and opened your bag, you realised that your phone wasn’t there. You asked several people but no one saw anything.
You are not sure if you left it on the bus or if someone had stolen it.
You decide to write to the bus company to ask if anyone has handed in your phone.
Include the following information:
- bus number/route – when (date/time)
- a description of your phone (make etc.)
- where you were sitting in the bus
- people on the bus – include a description of at least two people.
Remember to include addresses/date/ correct beginning and signing off.
Try to include some past perfect tenses.
Answers
B2 Young Offenders
Step 2 Words
= b
= g
= a
= f
= c
= e
= d
Step 3 Grammar
She said she played tennis every week.
They said they were watching TV.
He said he had finished his homework.
She said she would help her.
Margie said she could ride a bike.
The team coach said that they had won the last match and they would win the next one.
Het arrangement Young Offenders v456 is gemaakt met
Wikiwijs van
Kennisnet. Wikiwijs is hét onderwijsplatform waar je leermiddelen zoekt,
maakt en deelt.
Dit lesmateriaal is gepubliceerd onder de Creative Commons Naamsvermelding-GelijkDelen 4.0 Internationale licentie. Dit houdt in dat je onder de voorwaarde van naamsvermelding en publicatie onder dezelfde licentie vrij bent om:
het werk te delen - te kopiëren, te verspreiden en door te geven via elk medium of bestandsformaat
het werk te bewerken - te remixen, te veranderen en afgeleide werken te maken
voor alle doeleinden, inclusief commerciële doeleinden.
