Thank you for the question.
That's what we call intermittent custody, meaning that the sentence is served on weekends. It's well known, and it exists for adults. It's a sentence provided for in the Criminal Code. It works for certain offenders with a specific criminal profile.
It also exists for young offenders. It's provided for in paragraph 42(2)(m) of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, except that a provision states that the provincial director approves it with credits. This measure existed until 2013‑14, particularly in Montreal, and it was an exceptionally effective measure. For a young person who was at the beginning of their criminal career but had already committed major offences, people hesitated between two options: strict probation or secure custody with other offenders who would lead the young person to more delinquency. There was also this program with special units where the young person would go only on weekends. Depriving a teenager of their weekend does the job: the recidivism rate was among the lowest for custodial sentences. However, it's expensive, and it requires units and educators. Given this, the program was cancelled because of a decrease in crime. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, youth delinquency was at its lowest, so it was decided that the program wasn't really needed anymore, and those resources were cut. There's now a rise in delinquency, but the program still hasn't been reactivated.
Paragraph 42(2)(l) is another example of an intensive rehabilitation program that should be reactivated. It hasn't been reactivated, for the same reasons. Funds were cut when there was a decrease in delinquency, but those programs have never been reactivated, even though they're needed now.
This shows to what extent this provision, which makes it possible to reduce funds and sentences on a discretionary basis, was a bad decision in hindsight. I think this is a good opportunity to correct that and bring back the obligation for the provinces to offer intermittent custody sentences. That's what I was referring to.