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Trends in the Use of Custodial Dispositions for Young Offenders

NCJ Number
137403
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 34 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1992) Pages: 75-84
Author(s)
A N Doob
Date Published
1992
Length
10 pages
Annotation
The use of custodial dispositions in six Canadian provinces was examined in an effort to assess the impact of the 1984 Young Offenders Act (YOA).
Abstract
Judges appear to have changed their pattern of use of custodial sanctions during the first few years of the YOA. There has been an increase in the proportion of those cases getting to court that are receiving custodial sentences in many, but not all, provinces, but the proportion of custodial sentences of 3 months or less also increased markedly during the first 5 years of the YOA. Similarly, the decrease in the proportion of very long sentences (those of more than a year) was equally marked and consistent. For these six provinces, fewer than half as many young persons received sentences of over a year in the most recent 2 years of available data as compared to the first 2 years of the YOA. 1 note, 2 tables, and 16 references