100 word response 1 reference/intext citation
Due 3/22/2025
Zia
I am originally from Toronto, Ontario. There are quite a few criminal justice programs in my community but the one I will be discussing today will be the John Howard Society of Toronto, which runs the Crossroads Youth Program (CYP). This program was designed and set up to help the youth in Toronto, and help keep them out of trouble with the law. It is primarily focused on those who come from minority backgrounds. It also gives a focus to African-Caribbean youth, youth who are of age 16 and older, and those who are at a higher risk of getting involved in crime, due to things like poverty, discrimination, and lack of support. The program is designed to help with mentorship, one on one guidance, and still having youth partake in culturally relevant activities, to help the youth and younger people make better choices. It is also a way to help support their families and communities to help foster and create a more safer and positive environment (John Howard Society of Toronto, n.d.).
Many youth in Toronto, especially those who come from marginalized communities, are consistently overrepresented in the criminal justice system. CYP is set up to help tackle this problem. They assist by giving the youth the tools and support that they need to succeed and excel. This is done through education, job training, or even personal development. The main focus and goal of all this is to work to reduce crime by addressing the root causes, rather than being focused on punishing young offenders (John Howard Society of Toronto, n.d.). Research has also shown that community based intervention programs are a lot more effective than punitive measures in reducing youth crime (Boldt, 2019).
The mission and goals of the program are focused on helping people turn their lives around and be able to create safer communities. The mission lays in the empowerment of those who are involved in the justice system to make positive changes (John Howard Society of Toronto, n.d.). The CYP program is able to fit this into their mission by helping at risk youth find better paths, whether it is through school, work, or personal growth. They also help by providing culturally relevant programs, this is to help address some of the unique challenges and hurdles faced by African-Caribbean youth. And bringing a focus on families and communities, so that the root issues are combatted, and young people have a strong positive environment to grow in.
I believe that to see if the program is being implemented correctly, or even working, three outcomes should be focused on and the program should incorporate and assess. That includes lower re offending rates. By tracking how many youth are able to stay out of trouble after completing the program. By measuring and keeping track of the numbers, if fewer people who were part of the program end up back in the system, that is also a sign of success. Another outcome of this program includes better education and job opportunities. By constantly checking in and seeing how many participants of the program are going back to school or getting jobs after completion of the program is vital. If more youth are on a stable path, and working towards change and betterment of themselves, that means the program is working and making a difference. Another outcome of this program can include stronger family and community support. This can be measured through seeing how many families and community members continue to stay involved and help and support these young people. By having a stronger family and community support, this strong support system helps youth stay on track as well (Public Safety Canada, 2020).
By focusing on these goals, the Crossroads Youth Program can help at-risk youth turn their lives around and make Toronto a safer place for everyone.
