Youth Justice Committees are a relatively new concept in the
Criminal Justice System. In April of 2003 the Youth Criminal Justice Act was
passed into law and now forms the basis of Youth Justice in
YRAP serves the following roles in performing these functions:
EJS is a program outside of the court system, where an offender accepts responsibility for their actions and is given a list of consequences intended to answer for any harm caused. This gives them a second chance to take steps to correct a situation before entering the formal court process. If they successfully complete the conditions involved the charges will be withdrawn, and they avoid a Criminal Record.
YRAP is mandated to work specifically with youth who have caused harm as a result of hate crimes or a number of social issues. These can include homelessness, substance abuse, prostitution, mental illness, and others. This approach is based on the idea that, social issues can often be the basis for criminal behaviour, and may act as the root cause of wrongful actions. In this spirit, if the relevant issues can be identified and addressed, it may reduce the chance of future offences. In order to do this YRAP attempts to get insight into the offender’s personal background and the conditions which led up to the offence.
YRAP is the World’s first Youth Justice Committee to be made up entirely of Youth, between the ages of 15 and 24. These youth volunteers come from a variety of ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds, but share a common wish to make a positive impact for other youth in their community, as well as, a fundamental belief in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Many have been involved with the child welfare, or criminal justice system, and some have even been involved as YRAP referrals prior to joining as full members. As a result, the life-experience involved between the roughly 50 members is immense, empowering the committee to deal with a diverse case load, ranging from sexual assault, to assault, theft, fraud, mischief and many other charges. In addition, YRAP is supported by about 30 adult advisors, including lawyers, social workers, law enforcement officers, teachers, youth workers, scholars and concerned citizens. While the program is entirely youth run, the added professional expertise of these dedicated volunteers helps to facilitate the vision of the youth.
YRAP, as the name would suggest, guides its efforts by the principles of Restorative Justice. This is a concept that focuses on the harm caused by criminal action, to both victims of crime and the community at large. It is based on the idea that the harm done must be repaired and the actions of the youth addressed as the single largest objectives of the justice process. This includes a number of factors. For one, the accused must take full responsibility for their actions and assume an active role in deciding the consequences. Furthermore, the victim should have a voice in the process, as they are among the largest stakeholders. Their needs should, as much as possible be addressed. The resolutions reached are meant to focus, not on punishment, but instead on education and rehabilitation, as well as, address the root causes of the crime itself, where possible. The overriding idea behind restorative justice is that, if a youth is held accountable for their actions in a meaningful and constructive way, their likelihood of becoming involved with the courts in the future is reduced, and they can become positive members of an ultimately safer community.