A Preliminary Profile of Incarcerated Youth in Eastern Canada

• In Event: Understanding the Treatment of Justice-Involved Youth in Canada and the United Kingdom

Abstract

There is presently very limited data collected about young people involved in the youth justice system in the eastern, rural provinces of Canada. The data that is available is derived solely from official sources and therefore does not capture the nuanced experiences and unreported activities of these young people. In other parts of Canada and throughout the United States, longitudinal research has advanced our understanding of juvenile offending, and offending more broadly, thereby enhancing our interpretation of differences in juvenile offender profiles, outcomes, and programming needs. The present study is therefore collecting more detailed official and self-report data on youth involved in the justice system in an eastern Canadian region, following them from their first official justice system contact into their mid-twenties. This presentation will outline the preliminary results of this study, revealing the risk/needs profiles of young people in this rural area and differentiating these from youth in other parts of Canada and the US. Recommendations are made concerning the need for improved tracking of young people in the Canadian justice system that captures youth’s experiences during transitional life stages, as well as transitions between systems of care, i.e., foster care; health settings; community-based sentences/open custody and secure/closed custody.

Authors

• Adrienne Peters, Memorial University of Newfoundland

• Laura Squires, Memorial University of Newfoundland