“The Young Offenders Act and Aboriginal Models of Youth Justice: Challenging the Crime Control Trend through Bifurcation and Restorative Justice.”

Source: (1996) Paper presented at the American Society of Criminology Conference, Annual Meeting, Chicago, November 20-23, 1996.

This essay examines the principles of the Young Offenders Act (YOA) Modified Justice Modelís capacity to facilitate restorative justice practices. While aboriginal communities are assuming control over justice processes, they often lack the basic infrastructure and resources necessary to develop and maintain autonomous justice programs. The bifurcated YOA appears capable of meeting present First Nations aspirations. However, incremental objectives lie within the broader goal of self-government, which could pose complex political challenges for aboriginal youth justice in the future.