Madam Speaker, I had planned on talking about it in my speech but as I was interrupted, I skipped a few passages dealing with the Boscoville Institute. What is interesting about this institute is that individuals are assessed as soon as they arrive. A case study was done to draw a profile of young offenders.
I think it is important for Reform members and those who support lowering the age limit to know what the 25 young offenders treated at the institute were like. There were very few repeat offenders; it was usually their first time in court.
Second, the offence seems to be the result of a set of circumstances rather than of a life focused on crime. Most young offenders come from a very deprived environment at every level. Again, bells rang when I heard some members deny that most young offenders come from poor families. The statistics say otherwise. Let us look at the statistics and we will see what the situation is. Of course, there will always be black sheep but the vast majority come from underprivileged backgrounds.
Third, the motivation to go to an institute such as Boscoville is very high. People know one another. Young offenders think it is to their advantage to be treated under the Young Offenders Act when they can be re-integrated. It is extremely important to them, which may explain why in the end there are almost no repeat offenders.
There are roughly two treatment phases at Boscoville. I think I will eventually have the opportunity to discuss it in greater detail. I see that my time is running out. I will eventually have the time to describe the two phases. I think I will submit this document to the Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs because it is extremely important.
If the federal government wants to intervene, if it has money to invest in young offenders, it should perhaps consult with the provinces in order to invest in the right places, like the Boscoville Institute, where it is extremely important to emphasize self-respect and make young people acknowledge their actions.
After the second phase-the process is actually much longer-, they acknowledge their actions and learn to live with the consequences. In the end, however, they can re-integrate society as better and anonymous citizens who pay taxes and support the system.