The role of youth probation officers and their view on the current juvenile justice system

This thesis examines how the role of youth probation officers (YPOs) has changed in Canada under the Juvenile Delinquents Act, the Young Offenders Act, and the current Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). The YCJA reflects a Modified Justice Model, incorporating several conflicting principles governing how to deal with young offenders. As already seen under the previous legislation, this can cause difficulties for decision-makers who apply the act on a daily basis. As England and Canada have a similar approach to youth crime, England’s experience with its Crime and Disorder Act, also a Modified Justice Model, is used as a case study. This comparison allows conclusions to be drawn on how to best deal with young offenders under the Canadian youth justice system. This examination also includes the results of a survey of a sample of YPOs in British Columbia and an analysis of their perceptions of the YCJA.