Ensuring flexibility for an open and
responsive service
Stability and flexibility are essential
to making our young offenders residential system work. Voices
from Within, recognizes the young offenders system as "the
last stop for highly troubled 'system kids' and (that)… These young
people are Ontario's hardest to serve and are most vulnerable to
life-long difficulties".
It is the stability of the direct
operated facilities that allows flexibility in a highly complex system
of young offender residential services. We are the 'open door',
providing placement and program opportunities for children who are
particularly hard to serve, in the remainder of the system - they are
children who are a danger to themselves or others. We believe that this
is a very appropriate role for the government of Ontario.
Contrasts and complementary roles in
service delivery: Our partners in
the transfer payment sector may choose not to take a severely troubled
young offender. They may judge that the young person poses challenges
that are beyond their ability to cope with. This is a critical
distinction between the two complementary systems.
"Kids that the transfer payment
agencies can't handle come to us. That speaks to our staff's ability to
deliver a good service. We tend to be more seasoned and more
experienced." Angelo
Mosca Jr., Arrell Youth Centre
- Direct operated facilities can and
often are, directed by the government to meet the special needs of a
hard to serve child or youth. It is practice in the Ministry to
redirect young offenders who have been inappropriately placed. For
example, a young person placed in a Phase Two facility may be moved
to a Phase One facility because of our treatment focus and skills in
dealing with children with mental health issues. This kind of
critical flexibility may be outside the normal contractual
obligations of a transfer payment or private facility yet is
critical to inter-ministerial needs.
- It is also practice for direct
operated facilities to take young people whose behaviour or needs
demands a secure setting but which a transfer-payment agency may
deem a risk to other children in their care. This flexibility is an
asset where inter-agency co-operation is required.
"We have a good reciprocal
relationship with the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre. At the William
Hay Centre, we take their female Phase Two offenders who would be safer
in our facility. And the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre will, in
extreme circumstances, take some of our hard-to-serve males."
Terry Thorhauge, William E. Hay Centre
- Contracts with transfer payment or
private agencies are clearly defined in their scope and the nature
of their service delivery. Ministry-run facilities, unhampered by
contracts and under the direct control of the Ministry, are able to
respond to unique situations that have most often escalated to a
crisis level. This component of our system is both efficient and
effective and provides a final option - an open door in response to
crises. Under the current plan, it will cease to exist.
"York Detention is designated as
overflow for Southern Ontario. We get kids from Barrie and East and
others from Hamilton, Stoney Creek and kids who can't be handled in
group homes. They're sent to us for a week or two to stabilize their
behaviour - it's called a fifteen day hold." Rob
Watt, York Detention Centre
- In the event that the Ministry has an
exceptionally difficult or dangerous client, T.P. or private
facilities are quick to seek extra money to cope with the client, if
they choose to deal with the youth at all.
Our conclusion:
Direct operated facilities play a
critical role in ensuring stability and options in services for young
offenders in secure custody settings. The government's direct
relationship with these facilities and its employees and programs is
critical to its role and responsibility as the guardian of our most
vulnerable and troubled children. It is an appropriate role and one that
is strongly supported by the public of Ontario.
Go to Compliance with the Young
Offender Services Manual | Return to Main Young Offenders
Facilities Page
