Information for Families

Youth Justice Court Assessments

Your son/daughter has been referred to the Centre for Children and Families in the Justice System by a judge in Youth Justice Court. The Court is required to hold young persons accountable for their actions while taking into account their unique needs including level of maturity, stage of development, and level of dependency. Under s. 34(1) and (2) of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, a judge can order a medical or psychological report be prepared. This is the type of report we prepare. In this process, we identify the youth's strengths, special needs and any guidance or assistance they may require.

We help in two ways. We give the judge a thorough understanding of how the offence(s) occurred. We also suggest a plan for what might prevent future conflicts with the law.

The judge decides what sentence is appropriate and whether to use the plan suggested in our report.

The First Step

You will meet our intake worker who asks for some factual information about the background and history of your son/daughter and the family. As well, we ask you to sign "release of information" forms. These forms give us your permission to contact the school and other agencies with which the family has been, or is currently, involved.

The appointment with the intake worker is very important. Indeed, it is extremely important that you attend all scheduled appointments. Missed appointments delay the assessment process and may result in our asking the Court for an adjournment.

Assessments are usually completed in four to six weeks.

The Assessment

Between now and the next court appearance, the Centre staff member assigned to help your son/daughter will telephone to set up the first interview. Your family will probably be interviewed together, then your son/daughter will be interviewed alone. It is very important that you share openly any concerns you have about your son or daughter.

Psychological testing is completed by all young people referred to the Centre. It provides us with a thorough picture and the results are discussed with each youth.

When it is ordered by the Court, or when the Centre staff believe it is necessary, a psychiatric consultant is included in the assessment process.

Centre clinicians will provide feedback about the assessment results.

Our Report

Results of our assessment are summarized in a formal report to the judge, letting him or her know what, in our opinion, are the strengths and challenges of your son or daughter. In that report, we will suggest a plan to respond to any problems outlined and may suggest sentence options for the judge to consider.

A copy of our report is given to your lawyer or the duty counsel. You can discuss the contents of the report with legal counsel before the court hearing.

The judge will have read the report before the court hearing. The judge may want to know if you agree with the contents of the report and if you support the recommendations. If you feel we have misrepresented any issue, please let the judge know.

Possible Suggestions

When we suggest individual counselling, we will arrange a referral to the most suitable agency or counsellor. We also give serious consideration to the possibility that the family is able to solve the youth's dificulties on their own. If so, that opinion is stated in the report.

Our intent is always to help youths and their families move forward with their lives in a positive manner. Whenerever possible, we support plans and recommendations developed by the youth and the family.

Court Decisions

The judge alone decides the sentence. Our report contributes information and recommendations but there are many other factors a judge will consider. The Court will hear from your lawyer, from the Crown Attorney and, possibly, yourselves. The judge is required to consider all the available information beofre making a decision, including the harm done to any victim and whether it was intentional or reasonably foreseeable.

Examples of Sentencing

The sentences available to a judge in the Youth Justice Court are outlined in the Youth Criminal Justice Act. They range in seriousness from reprimand and absolute discharge up to a term in custody. Probation is the most common sentence used for youth. For more details, see the Youth Criminal Justice Act

Detention

Some youth are remanded in detention until their next court date. If your son/daughter is in detention and has been referred to the Centre, we consider them a priority and work closely with detention staff to expedite the assessment process. Members of the Centre's Clinical Supports Program are available to provide on-going counselling and/or crisis intervention for youth experiencing serious adjustment difficulties in detention.

Other Services

The Centre has several other Service Areas designed to assist families in custody and access disputes, child welfare proceedings, and when a child or teen must testify as a victim or witness in court. We are also actively engaged in research and training. More information about these services will be provided upon request or can be found on this web site.

How to Find the Centre

You can find us at 254 Pall Mall St. in London, Ontario. Come up to the second floor and tell the receptionist whom you are here to see. For a map, go to Yahoo Maps Canada.