The challenges of youth justice in rural and isolated areas in Canada

The Challenges of Youth Justice in Rural and Isolated Areas in Canada The Challenges of Youth Justice in Rural and Isolated Areas in Canada RR03YJ-5e Joan Nuffield Ph. [...] One respondent articulated this point clearly noting, “The greater the isolation, the greater the vulnerability and lack of services.” Consistent with the literature, the most frequently mentioned barriers to the delivery of a fair and effective youth justice system in rural and isolated areas are geography and distance; lack of services and resources; and a lack of community infrastructures. [...] Youth Justice Research Series / Department of Justice Canada 1 The Challenges of Youth Justice in Rural and Isolated Areas in Canada 2.0 Review of the Literature Although rural and isolated northern communities are often identified as a single entity for purposes of policy making and program development, the criminal justice literature makes the distinction between the two quite clear. [...] Geography and distance, lack of familiarly with the workings of the criminal justice system, delays in the formal response to crime, leniency and /or inappropriateness of sentences, and a lack of human and other resources were consistently identified by local respondents as the factors that most contributed to the ineffective delivery of criminal justice services to communities. [...] Youth Justice Research Series / Department of Justice Canada 5 The Challenges of Youth Justice in Rural and Isolated Areas in Canada 2.7 Solutions If one looks to the literature of the 1980s and early 1990s, the impact of Aboriginal constitutional initiatives and the attention to popular justice and alternate dispute resolutions are prominent.