Youth Justice: Innovative Approaches

Career Path & Reintegration Demonstration Project

Career Path offers programming for justice-involved youth, who are at-risk of or involved in gang activity. It provides education, training and employment opportunities by connecting youth with an employer who also acts as a mentor in building leadership and employability skills.

The Reintegration Demonstration project provides long-term follow-up and support to youth leaving the Waypoint or Daughters and Sisters residential addiction treatment centres.

Seeing Oneself

The Seeing Oneself Program at the Manitoba Youth Centre targeted youth who had substance abuse issues. The youth completed personality surveys and participated in culturally relevant sessions adapted to each personality type.

They also created artwork and shared personal stories that became story themes in the drug treatment healing manuals. Creating these manuals was a significant part of the treatment process.

Edmonton Urban Games

The Edmonton Urban Games targeted youth who were in the criminal justice system and at-risk of or involved in gang activity.

The youth developed and organized games involving skateboarding, rap debates, dance and urban scavenger hunts. The process gave youth the opportunity to use their leadership skills in a positive way.

Liberty for Youth

Liberty for Youth developed The Champion Series targeting boys on probation who are primarily involved in gangs.

The series includes programs which teach youth the consequences of their actions, how to give back to the community and reunites and strengthens relationships with their fathers or positive male role models.

Argos Stop the Violence

The Stop the Violence program involves Toronto Argonaut players who volunteer to work one-on-one with youth at the Sprucedale Youth Centre.

During the pilot program, players spent two hours twice a week with these offenders, giving the youth the opportunity to develop trust and positive relationships.

9 Heavens Healing Academy

The 9 Heavens Healing Academy targets gang, drug and justice involved youth from inner-city Toronto.

Youth participate in weekend camps at Ohsweken Territory to expand their frame of reference beyond the city streets.

The program's emphasis on responsibility, combined with life skills development, helps young men realize the potential for a positive passage into manhood.

Partners in Process

Partners in Process implements a unique drug treatment program for youth in conflict with the law.

The youth learn to trust and understand their actions and drug-use motivations through Equine Assisted Psychotherapy.

Tyndale Internship Program

The Tyndale St-Georges Youth Internship Program originally targeted youth from Little Burgundy who were in the criminal justice system and at-risk of or involved in gang activity.

The program provided skills and educational training to offer youth positive options for the future.

With the support of the provincial government, the program has taken the lessons learned during the federally funded pilot project and expanded it to address at-risk youth in the community.

iMove

iMove is a peer-mentoring program primarily targeting youth at the Nova Scotia Youth Facility who are at-risk of or involved in gang activity.

The program helps youth build self-awareness through personal story telling, performance art, music, filmmaking and social media activities.

John Howard New Brunswick FIDO Strengthening Families

The Fighting Illicit Drugs as One project helps justice-involved youth with addictions issues and their families. The program is based on the internationally recognized Strengthening Families Program and is designed to improve communication, understanding and build family relationships.

The program is running in three culturally unique communities within New Brunswick.