Sociology 2267A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 15: The Young Offenders, Reform School, Young Offenders Act
26 Apr 2018
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Department
Course
Professor
Chapter 15- Quebec's experience in keeping youth out of
jail
Thursday, April 26, 2018
10:45 AM
The quebec intervention model for young offenders: the right measure at the right time
• The dynamic relationship between research and intervention has also played a major role in
defining a differential intervention approach that has become more explicit and is now recognized
as the basis of quebec intervention model used
o Differential intervention =based on the identification of the type of delinquency associated
with the behaviours of young offenders, interventions must be then tailored to meet young
offender's treatment needs and the level of risk they pose to society
Evolution of quebec's legislative framework
• 1857 canada adopted the act for the more speedy trial and punishment of juvenile offenders to
avoid long imprisonment before trial proceedings
o Children were initially placed in asylums before being integrated into canadian families
(children from england)
• To protect children from delinquency in 1869 Quebec adopted 2 laws that established institutions
to take charge of these children: the industrial schools act (ensured housing and education for
under 14 who had been abandoned) and the reform school act (aimed to rehabilitate offenders
under 16)
• 1908: adoption of the juvenile delinquents act
o Minors were no longer seen as criminals but as poorly raised and not held responsible
• Beginning of 20th century in quebec: religious institutions cared for abandoned children free of
charge
• 1951: quebec passed the school act of youth protection, a law that abolished reform and
industrial schools
• 1977: quebec adopted the youth protection at
o In addition to dealing with children who need protection, this law also dealt with young
persons charged with offences under a criminal code or under provincial/municipal laws
• Taking into account the SCC decision and the enactment of the YOA in 1982, the commission
proposed the adoption of an alternative measures program that balanced social and judicial
obligations
o In this program the first step consists of an examination of evidence by the solicitor followed
by the youth protection director deciding which regime is applicable by proposing
alternative measures to the youth or by recommending to the solicitor charges be pressed
• Inspired by quebe'c experience using extrajudicial measures, the YOA instituted the alternative
measures program (AMP) which allowed quebec and other jurisdictions to elaborate on and
implement these measures
• For the majority of offences each jurisdiction was obliged to transfer the young offender to the
director of youth protection services (YPS) for assessment and determine how best to apply the
program options
• Since 2000, approx. 8000 young offenders a year have been supervised by alternative justice
agencies in the AMP
o Alternative justice agencies =quebec based, responsible for application of extrajudicial
measures for youth referred by police or by provincial director in accordance to YCJA
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
o In extrajudicial programs the assessment carried out by the provincial director must
examine certain key factors: the offence committed as well as who is responsible, the
character of the offender, and the social environment
• Prosecution in youth court and the imposition of specific sentences should be limited to
adolescent sin situations:
o Where the criminal conduct is an indication of 'distinctive delinquency'
o Where there are risks for public security
o Where the offences are serious
The evolution of interventions
• Transformation of open-custody interventions
o Beginning in the 1950s during the creation of the court for 'social welfare', uprisings against
youth imprisonment and large repressive institutions intensified
o Boscoville became the new rehabilitative project for young delinquents in montreal
• Program designed to teach delinquency youth necessary skills, values, and attitudes
that would allow them to develop a sense of social responsibility
• 50 teens divided into small groups, with educators to contribute to youth's re-
education
• Structures as systematic action research that led to a theoretical concept of
rehabilitation as well as a method to intervention
• Birthplace of psycho-educational treatment model
▪ Based on several assumptions:
• 'love' was not enough to work with youth (basis churches worked off of)
• Re-education of young offenders must be integrated into every activity
throughout the day and shared with the psycho-educators so that youth
had chance to change and become responsible
• Results showed that 68% of youths participated in program were not involved in any
recidivist activity for up to 1 year
o Phillippe-pinel institute: differential perspective for treating youth
• Psychiatric penitentiary hospital special unit for teens with mental health problems
associated with their delinquency
• Transformation of secure custody intervention
o For high recidivism risk teens requiring secure custody, rehab was thought to be impossible
o After the Berthelet riot (set fire to detention centre), changed its name to Cite des Prairies,
and the main guidelines were:
• To take the necessary means to fine competent and well trained employees
• To implement programs with activities intent on socializing and inspired by
intervention methods proven to be effective
▪ Implementation with academic, sport, and art activities that emphasized rehab
• To establish an adequate equilibrium between dynamic and static security
▪ Static =physical control of the incarcerated person (ex. Using surveillance
cameras)
▪ Dynamic = ensured by the relational dimension within the institution (ex.
Constant presence of educators and bonds built between the youths and
educators)
o Cite des prairies was transformed into a secure custody for young offenders
• Pro-social subculture that valued rehab and was able to counter the iatrogenic effects
felt in secure custody establishments
• The evolution of community intervention
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Chapter 15- quebec"s experience in keeping youth out of jail. Inspired by quebe"c experience using extrajudicial measures, the yoa instituted the alternative measures program (amp) which allowed quebec and other jurisdictions to elaborate on and implement these measures. For the majority of offences each jurisdiction was obliged to transfer the young offender to the director of youth protection services (yps) for assessment and determine how best to apply the program options. Structures as systematic action research that led to a theoretical concept of rehabilitation as well as a method to intervention: birthplace of psycho-educational treatment model, based on several assumptions: Implementation with academic, sport, and art activities that emphasized rehab: to establish an adequate equilibrium between dynamic and static security. Static =physical control of the incarcerated person (ex. Using surveillance cameras: dynamic = ensured by the relational dimension within the institution (ex.
