B.C.'s Representative for Children and Youth report suggests reallocating youth justice system resources due to a significant decline in incarcerated youth, proposing uses such as mental health support and Indigenous group engagement.

A recent report by B.C. 's Representative for Children and Youth suggests that the province needs to reallocate resources in the youth justice system due to a dramatic decrease in the number of incarcerated young offenders. The average daily number of youth in custody has fallen from 386 in 1997/98 to just 11 in 2021/22, leading to 11 staff for every youth in dedicated facilities. The report recommends redistributing the surplus resources to other areas, such as mental health support, and engaging with Indigenous groups and local communities to decide how resources should be used.

January 25, 2024
45 Articles