YOUTH JUSTICE FALLS FAR SHORT OF MARK

It just seems like yesterday when 18-year-old Archie Billard was
sentenced for his role in the death of popular Halifax teaching
assistant Theresa McEvoy. Considering he was sentenced to 4 1/2 years
in late 2004, there's something seriously wrong when he receives
early parole a little over a year into his sentence.

Billard, who created national headlines and brought about an 11-month
inquiry into youth justice, was given day parole on Wednesday by the
National Parole Board so he can attend a special school for troubled
youth. The fact remains McEvoy, 52, died instantly in Halifax when
the car she was driving was broadsided at high speed by a stolen car
driven by Billard, who was high on marijuana and fleeing police.

Whether Billard has been rehabilitated by his short stay at the Nova
Scotia Youth Centre remains to be seen, but there fails to be any
real deterrence when a youth, or anyone for that matter, only gets a
short stay behind bars after taking someone's life. Just as Billard
continually received slaps on the wrist during his journey through
the youth criminal justice system, granting him early release seems
like just another slap.

If there is anything positive that comes out of this whole affair
it's a new understanding of just how flawed our youth criminal
justice system is and how weak the Canada Youth Criminal Justice Act
really is. Now that Nova Scotia has adopted the findings of the Nunn
inquiry, let's hope the federal government also sees the light and
makes those slaps on the wrist much more painful than they have been.