Youth Criminal Justice Act Essay Sample

The YCJA, or the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is a law and a system on how to handle youth from 12 to 17 years old when they commit a crime. It came into effect on April 1, 2003, and replaced the old system, the YOA, which is the Youth Offenders Act. The purpose of the Youth Criminal Justice Act is to protect the public, hold youth accountable, provide rehabilitation and reintegration, and prevent crime. They do this with extrajudicial measures and sanctions, if needed they go to youth court and have proper sentencing, they have conferences with the victim and offender to discuss the right measures to take, and when the youth goes out of custody, they help them transition into society. Whether the YCJA works or not, people have different opinions on the act. Some might think that the Youth Criminal Justice Act does not work and there should be changes, while others might think that the YCJA does indeed do its job at holding youth accountable. In my opinion, the YCJA has great principles and measures for handling youth in trouble with the law. 

My first point is that extrajudicial measures are an effective way of punishment for youth offenders. Extrajudicial measures are out of court consequences. It holds youth accountable without going to court and getting a criminal record. Having a criminal record can impact your life in many ways, such as difficulty finding a job, because employers perform background checks on candidates wanting the job. It can also prevent you from going to or visiting other countries because of your criminal record. That’s why having extrajudicial measures is a great way of punishment while not affecting the youth’s future. Another reason is that when the YCJA was introduced into Canada, it reduced youth in prison by 86%. Youth who commit non-serious crimes don't have to go to custody, which is where they will most likely not learn anything and might even be influenced by other inmates. The extrajudicial measures find other ways of punishment, such as when you do graffiti on someone else's wall and get caught, an example of a measure is that you would wash the paint off and see how hard and long it takes.

My second point is that conferences can help offenders see how it affected the victim. A reason is that the youth can see different perspectives from the victim, which they would not have seen if they were just sent to court. Conferences work because having multiple perspectives will help see the bigger picture, find the root of the problem, and find a solution that will benefit both the victim and the offender. Often when only viewed in one perspective, which is likely the victim, it can lead to addressing the problem with little knowledge and the offender will presumably get consequences that do not mean anything. 

Finally, my last point, the teen brain isn’t fully developed until the age of 25. There was new research done and it shows that adults think with the rational part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex, and teens process their thoughts with the amygdala, which is the emotional part. In the teen brain, the connection between the decision-making and the emotional part of the brain is developing, but at different rates. This shows that teens are more likely to act emotionally rather than, an example is when someone insults and pushes them over the edge, they will most likely act out and fight. Another thing is that teenagers are much more susceptible to peer pressure than adults. That is why youth often want to fit in and worry that they are made fun of if they do not do what their friends want them to do. This can lead to bad decisions like stealing, destroying someone else’s property, doing drugs and alcohol, and much more. 

In conclusion, I think the YCJA does do its job at making sure youth are responsible for their crimes and are treated fairly and given proper consequences. My reasons for my opinion of the YCJA is that before the age of 25, the brain is still maturing, extrajudicial measures are a good way of punishing juvenile criminals, and conferences can help offenders see how their actions impacted the victim. So, what’s your thoughts and opinions on the YCJA?