Debates of October 19, 2006 (day 11)

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I made a statement on the youth crime in Inuvik, and my questions today would be for the Minister of Justice, Mr. Bell. I'd like to ask the Minister if there's anything that we can do as a government to have consequences for youth and/or their parents for criminal offences. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 136-15(5): Measures To Address Youth Crime In Inuvik

Mr. Speaker, thank you. I know that this is of particular concern right now in the Inuvik region. I know that the Member and Member Roland also attended a community meeting that was, I believe, hosted by the mayor to have some discussion and talk to the RCMP about what they are doing and what the community justice folks are doing in the community. I think there is some good programming. I think it is going to take certainly the community to come together to work on this issue, but they need tools and they need help. I think that's where we need to come in, Mr. Speaker.

I can tell you, just back from my discussions with my provincial colleagues and the federal Ministers, this is something that a number of jurisdictions have raised, as well. We do have to find a way, there has to be a mechanism in our young offender legislation to allow us to deal with the situations where offenders are incorrigible and do need to be incarcerated. It's not the majority, but we do need a mechanism for this, Mr. Speaker. So I can tell you it is a national priority and we are talking about some reworking of the young offender legislation to accomplish this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 136-15(5): Measures To Address Youth Crime In Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There's a lot of light sentencing going on with the Youth Criminal Justice Act, and the sentencing is hoping to give these youth a chance and another chance and another chance, and it obviously seems not to be working. I'd like to ask the Minister if we have the authority to introduce legislation that may supersede this act and set our own policies. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 136-15(5): Measures To Address Youth Crime In Inuvik

No, Mr. Speaker, we don't. We can't introduce legislation that would override this federal legislation. But let me talk about a couple of things nationally. There's a Manitoba proposal; there's an advanced number of principles they'd like to see adhered to in the Youth Criminal Justice Act. They would like to see and recognize that deterrents should be, and can be, a valid youth sentencing principle. It really isn't today, and this change could be made. We could also talk more about permitting repeat young offenders to be detained in custody. Another thing, Mr. Speaker, we could do is to limit the presumption of entitlement to bail. I think we could all recognize we have to demonstrate that people aren't a threat to society before they should be allowed out on bail, not the other way around, Mr. Speaker. So we have talked about some reverse onus provisions for bail, where it relates to young offenders who we're having a very difficult time with. So there are a number of things underway, but, no, we can't come up with legislation that would override the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 136-15(5): Measures To Address Youth Crime In Inuvik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know I'm all for rehabilitation. I think the offenders are going to have to want it, and it seems like recently there's been a whole new philosophical approach to crime prevention and rehabilitation for young people. I'd like to ask the Minister, has this approach worked? Have there been less crimes committed because of this approach, or are we in worse shape? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 136-15(5): Measures To Address Youth Crime In Inuvik

Mr. Speaker, it's a very difficult question. It's hard to know, in terms of cause and effect, what exactly has happened. It is something that criminologists study and something that we've looked at as a department. When we changed from the old young offenders legislation to the new YCJA, the Youth Criminal Justice Act, obviously the philosophy did change. It's less about custodial sentences. I think the idea is right. We may have swung too far, though, Mr. Speaker, and I think that's what we're seeking to address now. Programming is important, but there are cases where we need to ensure that public safety is upheld and we're going to need to make sure that there are custodial sentences. Thank you.