Douglas College Feature Article

By John Fleming

A research project at Douglas College will help police keep troubled teens out of the courts by using alternative justice programs.

"The new Youth Criminal Justice Act gives police the additional responsibility of diverting non-violent youths from the courts," says John Fleming, Youth Justice Program Coordinator. "But they need to know where to divert them to."

Earlier this year, Fleming was approached by a Vancouver Police inspector about the need to identify services available to youth, and together they submitted a proposal to the Department of Justice which earned a $23,000 grant.

The end result of the project will be a database of alternative services for youth -- covering everything from addictions counselling to group homes to anger management courses -- in the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GRVD).

"The police can't just send the youth anywhere," says Fleming. "They have to meet all of the objectives and criteria outlined by the new Act when they refer youths to community services."

The database will also contain all of the information police need for making referrals, from phone numbers to protocols for referring youth to each service.

This project, which is being supervised by Fleming and Criminology instructor Colin Campbell, has fringe benefits " it created jobs for Douglas College students. Fleming hired Sarah Louie, a graduate of the Youth Justice Program, to be the Research Coordinator, and three other students as Research Assistants. Since there are so many services scattered across the GVRD, Louie is using the umbrella approach -- starting with major funding sources and working her way down.

When it wraps up in June, a report will also be submitted to the Department of Justice.

For more information, contact Fleming at 604-527-5309.