Community Corrections services are provided by the local CSSD offices to young persons in conflict with the law, or at risk of conflict with the law. Youth Corrections Social Workers and other staff perform duties such as: provide supervision to youth serving a variety of court-ordered sentences; prepare reports to assist in the decisions of the Youth Justice Court; engage in professional social work assessments, service planning, and individual, family and group counselling; and assist in program development and community mobilization.
Social workers generally provide supervision and supportive services to youth serving the following types of sentences:
- Supervised Probation
- Community Service Order (work for the community)
- Personal Service Order (work for a victim)
- Custody and Supervision Order
- Deferred Custody and Supervision Order
In addition, social workers may provide preventative services to young persons who are at risk of conflict with the law, or after-care services with those who have completed youth sentences. Such services are offered on a strictly voluntary basis.
The stated objectives of the Youth Corrections Program are as follows:
- Ensure that young offenders under court order are sufficiently supervised in consideration of public safety.
- Adhere to the principle of the least restrictive level of intervention in administering the sentence of the court, in preparing pre-sentence reports and in making application for review of sentences.
- Involve the families of young persons at all stages of the intervention process.
- Ensure that the sentence of the youth justice court is properly fulfilled and that it is reviewed as the needs and circumstances of the young person change.
- Provide sufficient community-based and custodial resources to meet the sentencing needs of the youth justice court as outlined in the Youth Criminal Justice Act, (Canada) and Young Persons Offences Act, (Newfoundland).
- Co-ordinate and collaborate with other partners in the youth justice system.
- Provide appropriate services, especially in the community, to young offenders from distinct cultural groups or geographical areas, in response to their special service needs.
- Involve community members, including non-governmental agencies, to enhance or supplement the programs and services provided by government.
- Involve other government departments in jointly providing programs and services to young offenders or in carrying out the principles of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. (Canada) and the Young Persons Offences Act, (Newfoundland and Labrador).
- Complete thorough social histories and, where required, co-ordinate specialized assessments on young offenders appropriate to their degree of involvement in the system, and/or their needs.
- Provide a consistent standard of service in all aspects of program delivery.
- Provide opportunities for young offenders to learn more positive behaviour and to make amends for their actions.
- Provide opportunities for young offenders to learn personal accountability and the concept of individual responsibility.
- Promote greater community awareness of the principles that underlie both the Youth Criminal Justice Act, (Canada) and the Young Persons Offences Act, (Newfoundland and Labrador) and program objectives of Community Youth Corrections.
- Provide all community-based and custodial programs in a humane, caring fashion in which each young person is treated with respect, courtesy, and dignity.