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Information for the Public > A Canadian Directory of Youth Justice Resources
A Canadian Directory of Youth Justice Resources
In addition to the documents produced by the Department of Justice Canada, the following organizations have
produced information on youth crime and youth justice. Materials are either available for download or for ordering
through the following links.
Please note, while the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) is a federal law, it is applied by the provinces
– therefore the information in one province may not be applicable in another.
NATIONAL RESOURCES 
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has developed
training materials and presentations of particular interest to RCMP members that focus on parts of the YCJA and
the role of police in working with other services providers and the community. Resources include:
- Pocket Guide for Police
- Police Pocket Card
- Community consultation
The Access to Justice Network (ACJNet) is an electronic community
that brings together educational resources and information on justice and legal issues. Their Online Resource Room
includes classroom materials and lesson plans on youth justice.
Justice for Children and Youth (Canadian Foundation for Children,
Youth & the Law) provides legal representation to low-income children and youth. Resources include:
- Wallet cards on youth records (available in 15 languages)
- Know Your Rights
- Booklet explaining misconceptions of the youth justice system, and what can happen to youth once they
enter it
The Canadian School Board Association is the national voice of
school boards in Canada, working to ensure the needs and concerns of the education system are heard at a national
level.
Resources include:
- The Need to Know: A Guide for Timely and Ongoing Information Sharing between School Officials and Justice
System Personnel with the Youth Criminal Justice Act
PROVINCIAL & TERRITORIAL RESOURCES
ALBERTA
The Ministry of the Solicitor General is responsible for ensuring
safe communities in Alberta and the maintenance of youth correctional facilities and rehabilitation programs.
Resources include:
- YCJA Pocket Guide
- YCJA: Intensive Rehabilitation & Custody Sentence (IRCS)
Alberta’s Ministry of the Solicitor General was a pioneer in forming Youth Justice Committees –
groups of community volunteers working in partnership with Alberta’s justice system to deal with youth in
their communities. I nformation and publications can be found on their
youth justice committees website, and include:
- A Youth Justice Committee Sample Constitution
- Benefits of a Youth Justice Committee
- Guidelines for Appointment to a Youth Justice Committee
- Guidelines for Police Diversion: Referrals to Youth Justice Committees
The Public Legal Education Network of Alberta (PLENA) provides and
promotes public legal education across the province and affiliates with other organizations and funding agencies
who may assist in this.
PLENA’s Kids and Crime website help keep people
informed of key developments relating to the YCJA.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
The Attorney General of British Columbia is responsible for
criminal justice matters in the province, legal aid and public legal education and alternate dispute resolution.
Resources include:
The People’s Law School of British Columbia provides
legal information on a variety of topics in plain language to the people of British Columbia. Resources include:
- Consequences of a Youth Record
- Teacher’s study guide
The Law Courts Education Society of British Columbia
provides educational programs and services about the youth criminal justice system, helping the public understand
how the youth justice system works and helping those working in the system better understand the issues that young
people in the community face. Resources include:
- How to Represent Yourself in Court
- New Directions in Youth Justice
- On the Road to Justice: Aboriginal youth and the YCJA
- Guide to the YCJA for Aboriginal communities
- Mock trial resources
- Learning Centre
- Training Center
MANITOBA
Manitoba Justice is responsible for the
administration of criminal justice in the province, enforcing the law and imposing punishments, by fine, penalty
or imprisonment. The Department is also responsible for youth correctional services and promoting safe communities.
Community Legal Education Association provides Manitobans
with information about the law and their rights. Resources include:
- Youth Criminal Justice Act Teaching Kit
- YCJA Pamphlets and Fact Sheets: including bail; court orders; the court process; extrajudicial measures; right to counsel; victims’ issues; conferences; youth records
NEW BRUNSWICK
The Department of Public Safety is responsible for
community and correctional services for young offenders and YCJA implementation. The department is also the Youth
Advocate for those in custody, investigating complaints and recommending appropriate action.
Public Legal Education and Information Service of
New Brunswick created a Youth Justice in New Brunswick website to educate youth, parents, teachers, youth
serving agencies and others on the youth criminal justice system and youth crime. Resources include:
- Information on community dialogues
- Youth Justice Kit
- Video: Chasing Away Rain Clouds
- Youth Justice Internet Site
- Snapshot of Youth Justice Services and Programs
- YCJA – Electronic Game for Kids
NEWFOUNDLAND
The Department of Justice administers justice and ensures the
protection of the public and is responsible for administering the Youth Criminal Justice Act and for
corrections and community services such as youth secure custody.
Public Legal Information Association of
Newfoundland (PLIAN)is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating people about legal issues. In an
effort to educate Newfoundlanders and Labradorians about the YCJA, PLIAN completed an intensive promotional and
awareness campaign. Their resources include:
- For the Record – the Youth Criminal Justice Act
- Youth Justice: What you should know
- Youth Justice Rocks poster
- The Facts on… Alternative Measures Programs
- The Facts on…Children under 12
- Understanding Youth Justice: An Introduction to Terms
- Youth Justice: A New Approach – Youth crime statistics
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
The Department of Justice administers
justice, including policing and corrections in the Northwest Territories and administering the Youth Criminal
Justice Act. Resources include:
- NWT Pocket Guide
- Conferencing Guidelines
NOVA SCOTIA
The Nova Scotia Department of Justice is responsible
for the administration and operation of correctional facilities for young offenders and the provision of community
correction services for young offenders.
Their learning centre, Youth Criminal Justice Act Online has
resources that include:
- YCJA Pocket Guide
- Videos
- Flow Charts
- Training Manuals
- YCJA Participant Course Online
The Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia provides Nova
Scotians with information and resources about the law. Resources include:
- YCJA Fact Sheet
- Lawyer’s Resource Guide
- Teacher’s Resource Guide
- Youth and the Law website
Their Youth and the Law website
provides information on youth justice, such as the criminal process, the players in extrajudicial measures and the
process of going to court. It also has a Q&A board, which posts questions that are asked by youth on the
youth justice system.
The Community Justice Society ’s website on
restorative justice provides information on the alternative to the court system that brings together those most
affected by the crime to help determine what the young person may do to begin to make amends. The site provides
information for victims, young people and their parents, volunteers and FAQs about the restorative justice process.
Resources include:
- Video and accompanying guide for classrooms: Restorative Justice: Crime Hurts, Justice Heals
NUNAVUT
The Department of Justice manages
corrections, community justice and victim services, training young offenders for their rehabilitation by
administering on-the-land camp operations and open custody facilities. Resources include:
- Fact Sheet 1: Victims and the Youth Justice Process
- Fact Sheet 2: Victims: The Right to Participate
- Fact Sheet 3: Repairing the Harm Caused to Victims
(All resources are available in English, Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun, and while can’t be found online, can
be ordered from 867-975-6500)
Public Legal Education in Nunavut (PLEIN) offers public legal
education and information for the general public throughout the territory, lawyers and court workers. Information
is available in English, French, and Inuktitut.
PLEIN’s main partner, the Legal Services Board of Nunavut has developed:
- Curricula: “On the Road to Justice” (regionally adapted for Aboriginal peoples)
- Resources for Grade 6 and & students
- Resources for Youth at Risk students
ONTARIO
The Ministry of the Attorney General provides a
justice system which reflects the needs of the diverse communities across the province. The Attorney General is
responsible for conducting criminal proceedings throughout Ontario, including prosecutions under the YCJA, and
administering court services.
The Directory of Youth Justice Services in Ontario,
funded by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, connects the youth justice system and
supports in the community to young persons in conflict with the law. Resources include:
- YCJA Pocket Guide
- YCJA: Key legislative provisions
- Guide to Ontario Courts
Community Legal and Education Ontario
(CLEO) is a community legal clinic that produces clear language legal material for the general public. Resources
include:
- Getting a job with a youth record
- Travelling with a youth record
- Your record doesn’t end when you turn 18
- What’s the big deal about court orders?
- Talking to police: Why you need a lawyer
- Hiring a lawyer
- Working with your lawyer
- What’s new in youth justice?
- Restorative Justice: A different approach to youth justice
- Restorative Justice: A different option for victims of youth crime
- My child is in trouble with the law: What can I do to help?
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
The Office of the Attorney General provides community
and custody programs, including residential facilities for young offenders, and the alternative residential
placement/community youth worker program.
Community Legal Information Association of PEI (CLIA) provides
Islanders with understandable, useful information about laws and the justice system. Resources include:
- Legal guide on the YCJA for youth and their families
- Alternative measures for youth and adults
- Information for victims of youth crime
CLIA’s Youth Justice Website has information on restorative
justice and PEI’s youth justice system, and resources include:
- YJ information cards and posters
- Elementary education materials
QUEBEC
The Ministère de la Justice ’s Youth Division
applies the Youth Criminal Justice Act in criminal and penal matters and hears cases where individuals between the
ages of 12 and 18 are accused of offences against a federal or provincial statute or a municipal by-law.
Resources include:
- Witness: Your role in youth court
Éducaloi created Jeune pour Jeunes an interactive,
expansive website that explains the youth criminal justice system.
SASKATCHEWAN
The Saskatchewan Department of Justice is responsible for
administering the Youth Criminal Justice Act and community justice and alternative measures programs. Resources
include:
The department of Corrections and Public Safety
is responsible for young offender services and programs throughout the province.
The Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan
(PLEA) educates, informs and empowers through law related education. Their website directed at youth features such
resources as:
- Teacher’s Guide to the YCJA: Elementary Justice – Introducing principles of the YCJA to
children
- The YCJA: One Year Later
YUKON
The Yukon Department of Health and Social Services' Youth
Justice branch works to prevent or reduce the incidence of youth crime, deliver safe, secure and culturally
sensitive programs in response to youth crime, and promote healthy re-integration of young offenders into the
community. Services offered include youth probation, custody and community programs.
The Yukon Department of Justice is responsible for
administering the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Yukon Public Legal Education Society (YPLEA)
provides legal information to the public and promotes increased access to the legal system. YPLEA has a wide array
of pamphlets, brochures and information available to the public on various legal issues.
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