October 9, 2008

Fewer youth in Alberta’s justice system

Study shows significant decrease of youth in courts and custody without increase in crime

Far fewer youth are entering the Alberta criminal justice system since the Youth Criminal Justice Act came into existence in 2003, according to a new Alberta study.

The number of Albertans aged 12 -17 charged with offences declined by 27 percent, or more than 4,000 youth between 2001 and 2006, according to a new study by the Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family, which is affiliated with the University of Calgary. The statistics demonstrate that the YCJA is meeting its goal of reducing incarceration rates of young Canadians, which had been among the highest in the western world, surpassing the adult incarceration rate.

“The report shows that the Youth Criminal Justice Act has been successful in Alberta at achieving most of its objectives,” says CRILF executive director Joseph Hornick.

“This is the first in-depth study into Alberta’s youth crime rate since the YCJA came into force five years ago, and it’s enhanced by the participation of Calgary Police Service members and City of Calgary youth probation officers.”

The study also reveals that there are difficulties in achieving all of the principles of the Act, particularly with chronic and persistent offenders, given their complex needs. One cause of these difficulties, identified by study participants, is a shortage of targeted services in the community.

The findings are the second phase of a three-year project called Youth Offending Patterns, Serious Habitual Offenders and System Response in Calgary. This study is made possible through a partnership between CRILF, the City of Calgary and Calgary Police Service.  The report being released today was funded by the Alberta Law Foundation.

Earlier this year, findings were released by CRILF detailing the profiles and crime patterns of youth offenders in Calgary. The research offered a rare and valuable glimpse into the trends, characteristics and experiences of youth offenders. In addition, the report showed that 24 percent of all reported chargeable incidents by youth occurred between 3-6 p.m.

Subsequent research by CRILF elaborated on findings that youth who are more seriously involved with the justice system are less invested in school, less likely to participate in family and extracurricular leisure activities and are more likely to have mental health issues.
 
The final phase of the youth offender study that will be completed in 2009 includes a look at the best practices and techniques used across Canada with chronic and persistent youth offenders.

More Information: Links to the full report, executive summary and fact sheet are available under Research Reports on CRILF’s website: http://www.ucalgary.ca/~crilf

Media Contacts:

Joseph Hornick, PhD
Executive Director
Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family
Phone: (403) 216-0340

Grady Semmens
Senior Communications Manager – Research
University of Calgary
Phone: (403) 220-7722
Cell: (403) 651-2515

The University of Calgary and the City of Calgary have jointly created a research consortium called the Urban Alliance which is a “first of its kind” in North America. This 24-year partnership uses inter-disciplinary university innovation to tackle the array of complex problems facing modern cities. By pairing U of C researchers with City of Calgary practitioners, the Alliance builds upon both the high quality of life and highly qualified people found in southern Alberta. Learn more about the Urban Alliance at: http://www.urban-alliance.ca