Council would like governments to revisit the Youth Criminal Justice Act. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

YCJA

La Ronge council supports increasing severity of punishable crimes for young offenders

Feb 9, 2022 | 4:51 PM

“If you take a life, it’s a life for a life.”

Those are the words of La Ronge Mayor Colin Ratushniak who made the statement to larongeNOW in an interview regarding a resolution town council would like to see raised at the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association Convention (SUMA) in April.

The resolution calls for SUMA to request the provincial and federal government revisit the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) to increase the severity of punishable crimes for young offenders.

It also asks for SUMA to pressure governments when it comes to changing the laws to allow authorization to publicize names of serious or chronic young offenders.

“We can’t have, as we’ve seen in particular with the heinous act that was done in Air Ronge, our neighbouring community just a few short weeks ago,” Ratushniak said. “I don’t think you should be able to hide just because you’re a youth. As a youth you made a decision. It just doesn’t make sense. That’s just my personal view.”

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Ratushniak believes increasing the severity of punishment on young offenders, along with providing additional police officers in northern and remote communities, is at the top of resident’s minds. He said many residents want to see stricter penalties for “heinous” crimes, such as the home invasion and murder of Air Ronge resident Jennifer Hendry in January.

A male teen was charged with first-degree murder in connection to the incident and the media hasn’t been able to name the individual due to the YCJA. Ratushniak said it could be in the public’s interest in having the individual publicly identified.

“I’m not the expert here and I’ll be the first to admit that, but I don’t understand why we would protect someone who has chosen to make a very strong decision, for example, in the last [few] weeks someone’s life,” he said.

Widow calls YCJA sloppy

Former resident and businessowner Cora Laich said learning of the resolution was the first time since her husband Simon Grant’s murder in April 2017 that she feels like action could be taken. Two young offenders and an adult were found guilty of manslaughter in his death. The youngest was given a three-year youth sentence, while the second youth was given an adult sentence of seven years. Austin Bird received seven years as well.

Laich isn’t happy with her experience with the justice system and would like to see changes to the YCJA. She believes all of their names should have been released and she doesn’t have high hopes that incarceration will change their mind sets.

“The YCJA is sloppy,” Laich said. “That’s my word for it. It’s very sloppy. There needs to be more black and white distinction.”

Laich believes the YCJA should have minimum sentences for murder and the age limit should be lowered from 18. She’s also concerned about violent offenders being back on the streets within a short period of time and the risk to the public that it carries.

“Reading this really made me happy to know there are people out there who are advocating,” Laich said about the resolution. “The items in there, I totally agree with the names being released. If the offense is a risk to the public and the public feels they should be notified of these names, then I believe they should be published.”

Law expert said jailing increases criminal behaviour

Retired lawyer and University of Saskatchewan law professor Tim Quigley is firmly of the view that longer sentences do not reduce crime and that increasing the severity of punishment on young offenders would be a backwards step.

“I think it is in our interest to see a young person who breaks the law be dealt with in a way that stops him or her from reoffending,” Quigley said. “We want to see solid citizens who can work and raise families and contribute to society. If we simply jail people as we did under the Young Offenders Act, then they also end up going to jail as adults and that continues and it is very expensive for society.”

Quigley explained the YCJA replaced the Young Offenders Act in 2003, which was much more punitive in nature. He noted the Young Offenders Act led to Canada having the highest incarceration rate among industrialized nation for youth. The YCJA took more into account when it comes to youth’s diminished capacity to reason when compared to an adult.

Overall, he said the YCJA has been a success at bring down incarceration rates for young people, as well as criminality.

“I can sense the feeling that must be out there, especially when this is the second homicide in not too long a period and both have been quite well publicized and controversial,” Quigley said. “I think people have to be patient to see the case through to the end. I think it is a very poor idea to frame criminal justice policy around one case.”

Quigley also noted young people deserve the opportunity to go through the courts without the glare of publicity. He said when someone in charged they are still presumed innocent, but a public stigma still arises when that occurs.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno