Tough on Kids (PDF)

"If you're shoplifting, and you are on probation, you are going to jail. More rules. Everytime I go to jail, I see the same people in there. ... All I learned how to do was B & E's and stealing cars ... a fast way to get cash. That's all I know how to do." – A young offender, as quoted in the book.Does our current system for dealing with young offenders – which focuses on punishment – work? Not according to the authors of this compelling and thought-provoking book. It simply ensures that we jail more youth than any other country, including the United States. Green and Healy argue that a new approach is needed and offer ample evidence from around the world, and our own back yard, to make the case for a shift to restorative justice. The voices of their young clients illustrate the very real human costs of doing nothing. Topics covered include: causes of youth crime; special circumstances facing Aboriginal youth; fetal alcohol syndrome and effect; restorative justice techniques; innovations used in England, Australia, and New Zealand; Quebec – an example of restorative justice in practice, as well as other innovative approaches including the Calgary Community Conferencing program; theories about crime and punishment; and the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.This book is a must read for anyone – including counselors, social workers, lawyers, judges, educators – who is concerned about youth crime and justice. In an easy to read format this book presents the development and current state of Canadian law, as well as different approaches that have been used in dealing with youth crime. Regardless of one's view on youth crime, this book is packed with useful information, viewpoints, and statistics on young people and the law.