The Criminalization of YouthThe Criminalization of YouthThe Criminalization of YouthThe headlines are horrific. The statistics are alarming. Albertans believe their communities are unsafe. Youth crime seems out of control. In placeCityLethbridge, a 12-year-old girl was recently convicted of murdering her parents and 8-year-old brother. By age eighteen, 25% of boys born in 1987 had committed a criminal offence (Carrington 57). In StateAlberta last year, youth violent crime increased 6% (Forsyth 21), and placeStateAlberta’s rate of violent victimization is the country’s highest (Forsyth 16). Gang violence is escalating and gangs are recruiting younger and younger persons. 50% of youth charged are visible minorities and recent immigrants. (Interview November 21, 2007). The cost of crime in placeStateAlberta is $5 billion annually (Forsyth 6). Does the root of the problem lie within the family unit and peer structure, with substance abuse or with lack of community support? Is the answer simply found by providing more social and community counseling and treatment programs, or should we simply jail all young offenders for longer and longer periods of time so they get the message and stop offending?
Jailing most young offenders is the wrong thing to do, as 41% of teen offenders end their criminal careers before the age of 18, and 80% of teen offenders only commit one crime. In fact, 10% of young offenders commit 46% of all teen crime (Carrington, 59). By the age of 15 for girls and 16 for boys, most teens have peaked in their crime participation (Carrington 57). Judge Prowse-O’Ferrall, a youth court judge in Calgary for 17 years, gives important insight when she observes that due to police and community diversion programs, a significant number of less serious offences (such as mischief, shoplifting and possession of stolen property) are dealt with by Alternative Measures and never get to court. Most of those diverted never re-offend. Most often, those more serious matters such as assaults, break and enters and robberies, are dealt with by the courts. Of the young people she sees, Judge Prowse-O’Ferrall estimates at least 50-70% have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Due to this mental illness, they will never learn from their mistakes and without strict community supervision and structure, will continue to re-offend, as followers as opposed to instigators. Jailing these FAS youth will have no effect but to introduce them to other young offenders, some of whom may recruit the FAS youth and draw them deeper into more complex and serious criminal activity. (Interview, November 21, 2007). That leaves a very small proportion of Young Offenders whose propensity to offend might be changed by their experience with penalties in the justice system coupled with community intervention.
In placeStateAlberta, only 14% of young offenders are actually jailed; the rest serve their sentences in open or deferred custody, with most put on probation and ordered to do community service, take counseling, or make restitution, all within a very structured and controlled supervision. (Quote) Judge Daniel, an adult criminal court judge, believes the reason non-FAS youth most often re-offend as adults is because they have serious substance abuse issues and are not given the appropriate treatment and counseling within the community as young offenders (Interview, November 21, 2007). Judge Prowse-O’Ferrall confirmed that a very large proportion (almost all) of the youth she deals with take drugs and/or consume alcohol. She notes there are very few youth substance abuse treatment facilities for offenders, and the wait times are often over six months, by which time the youth has often progressed to more serious addiction and crime (Interview, November 21, 2007). In conclusion, it is apparent that jailing the 10% of hardened criminal youth is an important step in reducing community crime; the rest need extensive community support.
StateAlberta’s Crime Reduction and Safe Communities Task Force (the Task Force) identified substance abuse as a heavily influencing factor in the commission of crime in placeStateAlberta (Forsyth 24). Judge Daniel indicated that 17 years ago when she became a judge, the primary substance abused was alcohol. It was at the root of most crime. Over the last ten years, however, drugs (particularly marijuana and cocaine) have emerged as the common denominator with 98% of the criminals in court. A specialized drug court was instituted to deal with the increasing drug trade (Interview, November 21, 2007). The statistics illustrate the enormity of the drug problem in placeStateAlberta. More than $1 million in cocaine (with a street value nearing $2.5 million) is sold by wholesalers in placeCityMedicine Hat each month (Forsyth 20). Many of those who sell illicit drugs are affiliated with gangs based in CityEdmonton and placeCityCalgary (Forsyth 19). Virtually every
on a daily basis, the dealers are in fact the same. Their drug business is based within the Calgary area including the border area, but that does not mean that they have some control over who is selling them (Forsyth 19). As a result the dealers are often part-time operators rather than being charged with the crimes that are often committed. In many cases, the dealers have no choice but to engage with an organized criminal network, which they often do not understand (Forsyth 18).
Police (Police) are one of the biggest groups in Alberta (Forsyth 22, 21). Although they are in the business of solving crimes (Forsyth 22, 22), their main role is to provide quality information when needed (Forsyth 21) without the risk of prosecution. There is an old saying in policing: if you have one man and a woman, they won’t be able to help you when you are a good human being. As police engage in criminal activity as they are a unit they are called to do so because of their duties. In a police station the officers are involved in helping people in need with basic needs. Many officers are trained to not be suspicious and to do their job without ever looking back or having to make a decision as far as whether to pursue their investigation or not (Forsyth 20). They do not get this job because there is a large financial barrier to their working within the municipal system. In other words, the officers lack the means to evaluate and evaluate the information and concerns they have in the presence of the general public.
Police (Parks) are key to reducing crime for the public. They are very important elements of our municipal infrastructure and in the system we have access to the courts that can do their job. They are essential to our infrastructure as they allow an honest, professional and honest process about these problems which they will find difficult to resolve as they are often referred to as a “dynamic court system” (Forsyth 20). Public officials and the press are used extensively in government with a fair amount of exposure of all facets of police operations. Public records requirements require that certain departments be created to meet the requirements of the court system. To date, the public has provided at least 1 (Forsyth 20) public information about police service.
In addition to the court system, there are other elements employed in the courts that go further to address crime and other issues. These include: public records requirements;
a criminal database of all registered drug dealers and the names, addresses and telephone numbers of registered officers;
requests for electronic and paper forms to fill in crimes and other relevant information during regular hours;
requests for special training for police officers to obtain the necessary licenses, background checks by the police and obtain police licenses; or
emergency calls to the police to make changes or change the conditions of work related to the crimes in place in the jurisdiction. These services are designed to prevent crime and also are designed to help the public understand the justice system (Forsyth 20).
As noted above, police officers are not the only units performing the functions associated directly with the criminal and law enforcement operations. As the law enforcement community and the public both live together, we must make sure this type of work is carried out in the proper manner. Even if a municipality has its own specialized criminal database, municipal and police resources should be provided so that the public understand what will be required of an officer to provide the necessary services.
In order to eliminate the legal and mental stress of dealing with the criminal and law enforcement issues for the citizens it is essential that public officials and media provide appropriate and accurate information to facilitate interactions between citizens, police and the law
on a daily basis, the dealers are in fact the same. Their drug business is based within the Calgary area including the border area, but that does not mean that they have some control over who is selling them (Forsyth 19). As a result the dealers are often part-time operators rather than being charged with the crimes that are often committed. In many cases, the dealers have no choice but to engage with an organized criminal network, which they often do not understand (Forsyth 18).
Police (Police) are one of the biggest groups in Alberta (Forsyth 22, 21). Although they are in the business of solving crimes (Forsyth 22, 22), their main role is to provide quality information when needed (Forsyth 21) without the risk of prosecution. There is an old saying in policing: if you have one man and a woman, they won’t be able to help you when you are a good human being. As police engage in criminal activity as they are a unit they are called to do so because of their duties. In a police station the officers are involved in helping people in need with basic needs. Many officers are trained to not be suspicious and to do their job without ever looking back or having to make a decision as far as whether to pursue their investigation or not (Forsyth 20). They do not get this job because there is a large financial barrier to their working within the municipal system. In other words, the officers lack the means to evaluate and evaluate the information and concerns they have in the presence of the general public.
Police (Parks) are key to reducing crime for the public. They are very important elements of our municipal infrastructure and in the system we have access to the courts that can do their job. They are essential to our infrastructure as they allow an honest, professional and honest process about these problems which they will find difficult to resolve as they are often referred to as a “dynamic court system” (Forsyth 20). Public officials and the press are used extensively in government with a fair amount of exposure of all facets of police operations. Public records requirements require that certain departments be created to meet the requirements of the court system. To date, the public has provided at least 1 (Forsyth 20) public information about police service.
In addition to the court system, there are other elements employed in the courts that go further to address crime and other issues. These include: public records requirements;
a criminal database of all registered drug dealers and the names, addresses and telephone numbers of registered officers;
requests for electronic and paper forms to fill in crimes and other relevant information during regular hours;
requests for special training for police officers to obtain the necessary licenses, background checks by the police and obtain police licenses; or
emergency calls to the police to make changes or change the conditions of work related to the crimes in place in the jurisdiction. These services are designed to prevent crime and also are designed to help the public understand the justice system (Forsyth 20).
As noted above, police officers are not the only units performing the functions associated directly with the criminal and law enforcement operations. As the law enforcement community and the public both live together, we must make sure this type of work is carried out in the proper manner. Even if a municipality has its own specialized criminal database, municipal and police resources should be provided so that the public understand what will be required of an officer to provide the necessary services.
In order to eliminate the legal and mental stress of dealing with the criminal and law enforcement issues for the citizens it is essential that public officials and media provide appropriate and accurate information to facilitate interactions between citizens, police and the law