The Ontario government Task Force on Strict Discipline for Young
Offenders announced its recommendations on August 29. The Ministry
of the Solicitor General and Correctional Services is to establish
a "strict discipline" pilot project for 30-50 "young offenders" to
be implemented within existing budgets. According to Task Force
co-chair Gary Carr, "The primary goal of strict discipline
programming must be to reduce the rate at which young offenders
re-offend and to rehabilitate young offenders."
The strict discipline programming includes a structured
16-hour day with mandatory literacy, numeracy, "life skills
education," physical activity, an environment offering no idle
time, uniforms, enforced codes of conduct, promotion of "positive
family and community affiliations" and basic employment "training
skills." After evaluation of the pilot project, the bootcamp
programming is to be extended to all existing young offenders
facilities "in a timely manner."
This is yet the most brazen attempt by the Harris government
to further divert the attention of the society from assisting the
youth and instead openly train the youth in the spirit of the
fascists. The problem does not lie with the youth. It lies with the
society.
NEGATING THE RIGHTS OF THE YOUTH
Included in the recommendations of the Ontario government Task
Force on Strict Discipline for Young Offenders is the establishment
of a "Spartan and austere environment offering no idle time."
The Task Force is thus insinuating that the youth generally
have too much idle time and that they therefore become
"troublemakers." The solution to this problem, according to the
Task Force, is to restrict this "idle time" with a fascist
military-style atmosphere.
But if idle time is the cause of the problem, why does the
bourgeoisie not address this issue? Why does it not ask itself what
it could do for the youth so that the youth are given the
opportunities to participate in opening the path for the progress
of the society? Instead, the bourgeoisie has decided that yes, we
will provide the youth with something to do, but they will first
have to be rounded up into bootcamps and then they will be
bombarded 16 hours a day with fascist military-style antics.
This "solution" not only is another law and order response to
a serious problem in society--the worsening conditions of the
youth--it is also a further negation of the rights of the youth as
a collective. By saying that one of the causes of youth "crime" is
idle time, the bourgeoisie is admitting that the opportunities and
the facilities provided to the youth are inadequate. But it refuses
to address this issue which is that it is the society which has the
problem and not the youth. The bourgeoisie is quite satisfied to
continue depriving the youth of their just rights.
Shawgi Tell
University at Buffalo
Graduate School of Education
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
