Reading
Read the text about crime and punishment.
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. 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. |
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