Young offenders in Canada are protected under an act that was established in 2003, The Youth Criminal Justice Act. The YCJA introduced significant changes to the way young offenders are tried in the criminal justice system, including the overuse of courts and incarceration in less serious cases, disparity and unfairness in sentencing and the need to better take into account the interests of victims. There are, however, still cases in Canada that require young offenders to receive an adult sentence. Shae Priaulx, 18 years of age, was sentenced as an adult on November 6, 2009. On the evening of April 8, 2oo7, then 16 year old Shae was asked by some friends to buy some marijuana off of him. Shae contacted the drug dealer he made business with
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This reminds me of the Pip case we did earlier in the year since Shae’s characteristics are similar. Pip moved to Spain and moved schools and then came back a year later. This is similar to Shae moving from small home to small home and from school to school throughout his childhood. This puts a child in an unstable environment, one that allows him to deviate from child norms. Also, a significant impact to his life is a lack of a fatherly figure. Seeing his is single mother struggle financially throughout his life must have left a real impact on him, not being able to get what other kids got. A fatherly figure would have provided him with some guidance on what is right and wrong, and responsibility as he got older. Having a single mother take care of you that is always working and struggling financially really gives you a lot of freedom to explore what’s out there in the world. A lack of supervision, much like in Pip’s situation, can encourage criminal activity in a child that’s lost in his life. Additionally, Pip’s friends pressured him to do some of the crimes he committed. This was also the case with Priaulx, he was asked by his friends to buy them some marijuana. This could have made think that they were letting him into their group; he saw a chance and took …show more content…
Julian Gojer. In most cases, such as those of first time offenders, placing them in a youth jail for a year or two to receive the necessary rehabilitative programs would be sufficient for their rehabilitation. However, Dr. Gojer’s suggestion of placing Priaulx in a youth jail for two years is not in its place. Gojer agreed with Dr. Klassem that Priaulx was a moderate risk to reoffend violently, so how could he not agree that he should receive an adult sentence after committing murder, mens rea and actus rea present. Justice McMahon without a doubt made the right decision. Sentencing Priaulx to a life sentence provides better supervision, and if at some point after 7 years it is believed that he has been rehabilitated, he can be released on parole. To be given a youth sentence and be released after two years, however, makes no
This reminds me of the Pip case we did earlier in the year since Shae’s characteristics are similar. Pip moved to Spain and moved schools and then came back a year later. This is similar to Shae moving from small home to small home and from school to school throughout his childhood. This puts a child in an unstable environment, one that allows him to deviate from child norms. Also, a significant impact to his life is a lack of a fatherly figure. Seeing his is single mother struggle financially throughout his life must have left a real impact on him, not being able to get what other kids got. A fatherly figure would have provided him with some guidance on what is right and wrong, and responsibility as he got older. Having a single mother take care of you that is always working and struggling financially really gives you a lot of freedom to explore what’s out there in the world. A lack of supervision, much like in Pip’s situation, can encourage criminal activity in a child that’s lost in his life. Additionally, Pip’s friends pressured him to do some of the crimes he committed. This was also the case with Priaulx, he was asked by his friends to buy them some marijuana. This could have made think that they were letting him into their group; he saw a chance and took …show more content…
Julian Gojer. In most cases, such as those of first time offenders, placing them in a youth jail for a year or two to receive the necessary rehabilitative programs would be sufficient for their rehabilitation. However, Dr. Gojer’s suggestion of placing Priaulx in a youth jail for two years is not in its place. Gojer agreed with Dr. Klassem that Priaulx was a moderate risk to reoffend violently, so how could he not agree that he should receive an adult sentence after committing murder, mens rea and actus rea present. Justice McMahon without a doubt made the right decision. Sentencing Priaulx to a life sentence provides better supervision, and if at some point after 7 years it is believed that he has been rehabilitated, he can be released on parole. To be given a youth sentence and be released after two years, however, makes no