In the year of 2011, the Conservative Party government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced Bill C-10, titled The Safe Streets and Communities Act under the impression that Canada was experiencing a serious crime problem amongst a lenient criminal justice system …show more content…
The amendments made to the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) in Bill C-10 were initially intended to help maintain and ensure the safety and security of Canadians using the get tough on crime approach (Bala, 2015). However, the Safe Streets and Communities Act is focused on making sure that the public feels more secure instead of being centered on the wellbeing of the youth involved in the criminal justice system which leads to a number of undesirable conclusions. This paper will address three main points. First, an argument on the evidence stating that the get tough on crime measures do not work; second a discussion on the importance of rehabilitation for youth; and thirdly an argument on the necessity for a spate legal system for youth from …show more content…
It is part 4 in the Safe Streets and Communities Act. Before making its way into Bill C-10, it was deferred for a number of reasons. Bill C-4 was named after a 19-year-old boy, named Sébastian’s Lacasse, who was beaten and stabbed to death at a house party in Quebec by a 17 year old (Nicholson, 2010). Part 4 in the Safe Streets and Communities Act was initially presented to protect society from young offenders by amending the sentencing and general principles of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, as well as its provisions relating to judicial interim release, adult and youth sentences, publication bans, and placement in youth custody facilities (Nicholson, 2010). Part 4 in Bill C-10 allows for the names of young offenders who are convicted of violent offences to be published and publicly announced, it allows police to keep a record of any extrajudicial measures executed on young offenders causing their criminal tendencies to be documented, institutes specific deterrence and denunciation as sentencing principles similar to those in the adult criminal justice system, and it authorizes the court to imprison individuals who have previously been convicted (Bill C-10, 2012). Sebastian’s Law was designed tin favor of society as a whole rather than the youth by making the protection of society the primary objective of the Youth Criminal Justice Act rather than the youth