NCJ Number
102505
Date Published
1984
Length
15 pages
Annotation
To examine if the incarceration of children in adult facilities constitutes a problem in Canada and to examine the nature and extent of such incarceration, two data sources were consulted: the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics and survey responses of 30 voluntary agencies working with offenders and their families.
Abstract
In 1981, data show that for all Canada in 1980, 570 males and 15 females 17-years-old or under were confined in an adult penitentiary or other correctional facility. Of these, 134 were under the age of majority in the province in which they were incarcerated. This latter group of children were in adult institutions, although every province has laws forbidding this practice. However, provinces also provide exceptions for such placement: dangerousness, commission of a serious offense, or trial in adult court. There also was some evidence that some children are detained briefly in local lockups and jails. Of voluntary agency respondents, 75 percent were not aware of any occurrence of this problem in their region; fewer than 20 of this problem in their region; fewer than 20 children under the age of majority were identified by all responding agencies. Results suggest that the imprisonment of children in adult correctional institutions is not a ubiquitous problem in Canada, nor does it occur with sufficient frequency to be viewed as a problem. 3 tables.