Offender program endorsed

Page 9

The Greater Sudbury Police Service (GSPS) and the Sudbury Youth Referral Program (YRP) are co-operating to steer first-time offenders away from the court system.

Such prevention measures are mandated by the Youth Criminal Justice Act that came into effect on April 1, 2003.

Under the program, youth who have committed non-violent offences such as shoplifting, mischief or minor assaults are introduced to extra-judicial remedies.

"The Act speaks for the needs of First Nation people," according to Nancy Cada, Aboriginal youth referral program co-ordinator. "Native families that have come in here feel like they have been dealt with fairly and it has been extremely positive. It helps Native youth become more receptive to the police."

Cada monitors offenders to ensure compliance with contract conditions, and she maintains ongoing relationships with their families to make sure community resources are used.

An Aboriginal community police advisory committee has been consulted in the development of this prevention strategy.

Representatives from Whitefish Lake First Nation, Wahnapitae First Nation, N'Swakamok Friendship Centre and other urban Native organizations are providing input for the program.

"It is working really well," according to GSPS youth liaison officer Cst. Rob Thirkill. "The trust issue has been huge, of course. Layers of mistrust have built up over the years, and it takes time to get families to believe that the police are sincere in trying to help young people."

Under the program, young offenders are placed under a three-month contract designed to change offending behaviours and to provide consequences, Thirkill said. The youth agree to abide by parental rules and curfew, to stay out of malls (if relevant), to write an apology letter and to refrain from associating with any co-accused.

"We also make sure the youth access community resources for counselling and courses such as anger management," he added. "I'm sold on the program myself because it deals with offences in a very timely fashion. Under the previous system (Young Offenders' Act), a lot of time was lost in the courts. The positive thing about this program is that the courts are not tied up with minor youth crime."

John Rimore, executive director of Sudbury's John Howard Society gives the program a positive review. "The youth get a better grasp of what real harm they did and what the real costs are associated with their crime."

In his view, the program is "doing something that will prevent future criminal behaviours."

The program receives about 25 new referrals each month. Thirkill estimates that criminal charges involving young people dropped by 50 per cent in the first six months of the program.