Youths in Treatment

It is the present trend in dealing with youthful offenders that diversion techniques be utilized whenever possible. Staff and administration of existing treatment centres are to be commended for their efforts to reduce the number of youths placed in those institutions for treatment. However, there remains continual pressure from various areas to view these institutions as a desirable placement for any youth having behaviour problems in the community. Every effort should be made to view placement at these institutions as a last, and in most cases, an undesirable alternative treatment. It has been noted by various persons that while institutionalized, a youth learns “new and better techniques for committing additional delinquent acts upon his release (Wittey and Lawrence, 1973 p. 15).” Further rationale for discouraging placement in these institutions have been noted by others in stating that youths are labelled delinquent by being placed in such institutions and that once a youth acquires such a label, there is no effective way to remove it (e.g. Faust, 1973 and Elssuer, 1969).