Social Dimensions of Canadian Youth Justice

This book is a critical sociology of law examination of youth justice in Canada. The theoretical orientation suggests that justice is, to a substantial degree, the result of a young offender's social characteristics and not simply the result of guilt or innocence. The text investigates the history of criminological theory and its relation to youth crime, the history of Canadian youth justice policy from the industrial revolution to the Young Offenders Act, looks at recent empirical trends in Youth Crime rates and court data for 1991 to assess the national and provincial profiles of youth justice including arrest and conviction rates by gender, geography, age, etc. It then tests the effects of social variables on arrest, counsel status, plea, adjudication, and sentencing. The effect that being Native has on youth justice is examined in particular, the reasons why Native culture and legal culture are at odds and how many of the provisions of the YOA violate Native cultural values and practices. Finally, the book concludes with a discussion of why courts have such difficulty in responding to youths of different socioeconomic and racial backgrounds.Note: Included are some of the basic declarations of the Young Offenders Act in an appendix.