Youth Criminal Justice Act - Youth Justice Committees

Youth Justice Committees

Section 18(1) of the Youth Justice Committees (YJCs) help in the administering of the YCJA by devolving power to the community. YJCs facilitate interaction between the victim and offender, and recommend appropriate programs/services to treat their situation. Each committee is a group of trained volunteers from the local community. Their main activities include the following:

a. for the youth charged with an offence:

• Recommending an appropriate extrajudicial measure to be used
• Victim support by addressing concerns and mediating between victim and offender
• Ensuring community support by arranging for the use of communal services, and recruiting short-term mentors and supervisors
• Coordinating interaction between the youth criminal justice system and any outside agency/group

b. Reporting to the federal and provincial governments on whether protective measures of the act are followed
c. Advising the federal and provincial governments on policies and procedures related to the youth criminal justice system
d. Informing the public in respect of the YCJA and the youth criminal justice system;
e. Setting up conferences
f. Any other task assigned by The Attorney General of Canada or a provincial minister

Operating under the paradigm of restorative justice, YJCs aim to “strike the right balance between accountability and community intervention” YJCs are used extensively in Manitoba, Alberta and New Brunswick. A committee’s activity largely depends on volunteer efforts from its community. Trained members work to create extrajudicial measures for young people, but failure to comply with measures given ultimately results in return to the formal justice system.