Evaluations of the Canadian version of the Youth Promise Act, the YCJA (Youth Criminal Justice Act) implemented in 2003

Canada has already implemented its version of the YPA (Youth Promise Act), the YCJA (Youth Criminal Justice Act) back in 2003.

 

A report created for the New South Wales (Australia's most populous state) Minister for Juvenile Justice by Noetic Solutions Pty Ltd, a strategic management and knowledge consulting firm specializing in the business of government, deemed Canada's implementation a successful one with achievement of its goals of diversion of youth into community-based alternatives resulting in reduced youth incarceration. That report can be seen here: http://www.djj.nsw.gov.au/pdf_htm/publications/general/Juvenile%20J....

 

To see other independent evaluations of the YCJA which I have compiled, that in general, view it as a success, see the attachment to this discussion. 

 

An area of improvement I picked up on from reading the evaluation comments of the Canadian YCJA was the need for greater availability and a wider assortment of community-based alternatives for Canadian youth to be diverted into. It doesn’t sound like Canada had provided sufficient funding for the YCJA to make this happen. With a relatively modest price tag of $1.9 billion over a five-year time period ($7 per American), the Youth PROMISE Act appears well positioned to capitalize on Canada’s implementation experience by ensuring there is sufficient funding up front for evidence-based community alternatives that are proven to reduce recidivism.