Changes in custody following the enactment of the Youth Criminal Justice Act

This study explores the sentencing impact of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA), in contrast to the Young Offenders Act (YOA), using data from the largest custodial facility in British Columbia, Canada. Findings indicate that the number of youth in custody decreased an atypical amount under the YCJA despite an increase in the overall number of charges in the same timefiame. In addition, though all custodial sentences are now followed with a community-based component, the average length of the community segment decreased significantly under the new Act. Furthermore, offence seriousness appears to align more closely with custody length under the YCJA, indicating an increased adherence to the principle of proportionality when sentencing. Finally, under the YCJA, factors aside from offence seriousness, including gender and number of prior convictions, are less likely to influence the length of custody then they were under the YOA.