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36 Canadian J. Criminology 343 (1994)
The Need to Reform the YOA in Response to Violent Young Offenders: Confusion, Reality or Myth

handle is hein.journals/cjccj36 and id is 359 raw text is: The need to reform the YOA in response to violent young offenders: Confusion, reality or myth? Raymond R. Corrado Simon Fraser University Burnaby, B.C. and Alan Markwart (1) Ministry of the Attorney General British Columbia La pol~mique nationale en cours sur la r~forme de la Loi sur les jeunes contrevenants (LJC) porte d'abord sur ce qu'on doit faire avec lesjeunes contrevenants violents. Les commentateurs les plus virulents demandent des changements qui imposeraient des mesures plus r~pressives ou des recours habituels d la detention pour tous les jeunes contrevenants violents qui auraient commis des actes importants de violence comnme le meurtre. Les dfenseurs de la Loi r~pondent d ces critiques, et d tous ceux qui demandent s'il ne faudrait pas entreprendre d'autres r~formes fondamentales, qu'il n'y a pas eu d'augmentation du nombre des d~lits de violence et que la LJC donne maintenant aux jeunes des garanties de procedure. Les auteurs examinent etfont la critique de ces deux attitudes. A leur avis, la Loi semble dj& plus s~vre d l'endroit des infractions moins s~rieuses et, en apparence au moins, n'est pas assez sLv~re d l'endroit des infractions de violence. Si on ne fait pas de r~formes innovatrices et importantes, la controverse au sujet de la LJC continuera et la Loi restera inefficace pour venir d bout des jeunes d problemes multiples, surtout ceux qui commettent des infractions de violence. The current public debate about the reform of the Young Offenders Act (YOA) has been focused primarily on what to do with violent young offenders. The most angry critics are demanding crime control oriented changes which would facilitate a far more punitive or routine custodial response to all violent young offenders but especially older ones and those who have committed major violent offenses such as murder. Supporters of the YOA respond to these critics as well as to those who raise questions about the need for other fundamental reforms by claiming that violent offenses have not increased and that the YOA has provided the necessary procedural rights to youths. Both these positions about the YOA are examined and criticized. The YOA, it is argued, paradoxically is more punitive regarding less serious offenses and not punitive enough, at least symbolically, for the most violent offences. Without major and innovative reforms, the YOA will remain controversial and ineffective in dealing with multi-problem youths, especially those who engage in serious offenses. Canadian Journal of Criminology 343 to 378 Revue canadienne de criminologie July/juillet 1994

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