The Department of Justice web site has a very good myth breaking article which takes on the common held beliefs of so many citizens. Did you ever question if crime rates for youth is on the rise or using a get tough approach is all you need to resolve youth crime. Here is one myth that explains the benefits of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Myth: The YCJA is too costly, cumbersome and complex
Reality: The YCJA provides the framework for a fairer and more effective justice system.

Youth crime is not a problem with a single cause. Some minor crimes are nothing more than young people testing the limits of what society will tolerate. But many, according to a major federal study in 2000, are committed by "troubled youths from troubled families. Their backgrounds tend to be characterized by violence, substance abuse, inconsistent parenting, weak attachment to family and school, poverty, poor housing and under-resourced neighbourhoods."[13]

The YCJA allows the youth justice system to respond in a fair and appropriate manner across the broad spectrum of youth crime. The law puts tools in the hands of police officers, Crown prosecutors, defence counsel, judges and other youth justice professionals. There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution to youth crime.

The YCJA itself is not costly. It encourages a community-based response to youth crime. The alternative - simply locking up all young offenders - places a financial burden on the state and taxpayers which may last for many years longer than an initial investment in turning the young person's life around while they are still capable of change.

Incarceration of a youth costs $250 a day[14]. Many programs that assist youth in the community are far less expensive than incarceration. The most expensive option is NOT to invest in our young people by simply writing them off as criminals incapable of rehabilitation.

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