YOUTH JUSTICE

Re: Should 10-Year-Olds Face Jail?, Aug. 15.

When young people fall victim to the criminal element before they
reach 12 years of age, it represents a failure of the justice system
and the social services that governments provide. I commented on this
problem recently in St. John's at a meeting of the Canadian Bar
Association, and it's unfortunate that my comments were
misrepresented. I would like to correct the record by informing your
readers of the following.

Young people who engage in criminal behaviour before the age of 12
need effective intervention and treatment to ensure that this pattern
of behaviour is not continued. They do not need incarceration, nor
have I suggested they do.

In some cases, young people have had extensive police and social
service interaction before age 12. For these youth, the justice
system has no mechanism to ensure that they get the treatment they
need. To prevent them from falling through the cracks, we need to
discuss whether the courts should have some legal recourse to
intervene in a positive fashion. I am open to having the discussion
about a treatment-based approach with all the stakeholders in the
youth justice system. When it comes to young people of that age, we
cannot afford to wait for them to turn 12 and then be dealt with by the courts.

As Justice Minister, I take responsibility for youth justice very
seriously. This includes rehabilitation, holding young people
accountable for their actions, protecting society and preventing
youth crime before it has a chance to take root. An effective youth
criminal justice system takes all of these areas into consideration,
because when one aspect fails, the public can lose faith in the entire system.

The Hon. Vic Toews

Ottawa