Program directory · Department of Justice Canada
Youth Justice
- Department
- Department of Justice Canada
- Program code
- BNY06 (JUS)
- Core responsibility
- Justice System Support
- In Departmental Plans
- 2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan
What it does
The program aims to encourage a fair and effective youth criminal justice system (CJS), respond to emerging youth criminal justice issues, and enable greater citizen and community participation in the youth CJS. The Department supports the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of Canada in their responsibility for the implementation of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) by providing legal and policy advice to other federal departments and agencies. This includes advancing youth criminal justice legislative proposals, providing litigation support on youth criminal justice matters, and overseeing the administration of the YCJA. These legal advisory services assist the Government in achieving its objectives regarding the youth CJS in accordance with the law. As the administration of justice is an area of shared jurisdiction, the Department works closely with the provinces and territories, as well as with key stakeholders, to advance priorities of common interest in youth criminal justice.
In addition, the Department promotes the protection of the public by supporting programs and services which are consistent with the objectives of the YCJA. The Department provides contribution funding to the provinces and territories for programs and services aimed at youth who come in contact with the CJS which encourage their accountability, rehabilitation and reintegration into the community; promote diversion from the formal court process where appropriate; and reserve custody for the most serious offenders. Funding is also provided to the provinces and territories for specialized therapeutic programs and services for youth with mental health needs who are found guilty of a serious violent offence. Finally, funding is available to a wide range of recipients for projects which aligns with the aim of the program.
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2018-19. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).
| Program | Relation | Years with data | Actual spending over those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youth Justice | This program | 2018-19 – 2028-29 | $1.28B |
No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.
Significant changes in scope and budget
Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.
| Year | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Spending $201M, against $157M in 2020-21 (+28%). | Actual spending (GC InfoBase) |
| 2023-24 | Indicators added: Number of youths receiving specialized treatment through the Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision program; Percentage of youth court cases which received a non-custodial sentence. | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2023-24 | Indicators dropped: Percentage of federal funds accessed by provinces, territories, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders to deliver targeted services consistent with federal priorities.; Percentage of youth court cases receiving a non-custodial (community-based) sentence as compared to previous reported years. | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2026-27 | Indicators added: Percentage of youth court cases in which a non-custodial sentence was imposed | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2026-27 | Indicators dropped: Percentage of youth court cases which received a non-custodial sentence. | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
Success criteria
The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.
Historical: targets against results
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | ≥ 90 | 2024 | 124 | Met |
| 2024-25 | ≥ 90 | 2025 | 131 | Met |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | ≥ 85% | 2024 | — Updated data are expected to be released by Statistics Canada by the end of September 2025. | No result reported |
| 2024-25 | ≥ 85% | 2025 | — Updated 2024–25 data are expected to be released by Statistics Canada in late 2026. | No result reported |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 100% | 2019 | 100% | Met |
| 2019-20 | ≥ 100% | 2020 | 98% The result (98%) remains consistent with that of previous reporting periods, though slightly below the target. Only the Contraventions Act Fund is not fully committed. The Department continues to work diligently toward having provinces, territories, and municipalities sign Contraventions Act administration and enforcement agreements containing language rights provisions supported by the Fund. How… | Not met |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 100% | 2021 | 98% The result above shows that the percentage of federal funds accessed by provinces, territories, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders to deliver targeted services in support of federal priorities is consistent with that of previous reporting periods. Though slightly below the departmental target, the result remains consistent at 98% despite the COVID-19 pandemic. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 100% | 2022 | 97% The result shows that the percentage of federal funds accessed by provinces, territories, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders to deliver targeted services in support of federal priorities. Though slightly below the departmental target, the result remains consistent at 97% despite the COVID-19 pandemic. | Not met |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 100% | 2023 | 99% The result (99%) remains consistent with that of previous reporting periods, though slightly below the target. Some of the lapsed funds are attributable to historical programs lapses such as the State-Funded Counsel Program and the Special Advocates Program (demand driven by court orders) and Contraventions Act Fund (which is not fully committed). The Department continues to work diligently towar… | Not met |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 85% | 2019 | — Most recent data published by Statistics Canada is for 2016-17. | No result reported |
| 2019-20 | ≥ 85% | 2020 | — At the time the 2019-20 Departmental Results Report was finalized, the most recent data published by Statistics Canada was for 2017-18 (https://doi.org/10.25318/3510004101-eng). | No result reported |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 85% | 2021 | — Most recent data published by Statistics Canada is for 2019-20. | No result reported |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 85% | 2022 | — 2021-22 data will be published in the Fall of 2023. | No result reported |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 85% | 2023 | — 2022-23 annual data will be published by Statistics Canada in the fall of 2024. | No result reported |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 90 | 2027 | — | Planned |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 85% | 2027 | — | Planned |
Future goals: targets due after 2026-27
No targets with a later due date.
Spending and employees: planned against actual
Spending
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | $158M | $158M |
| 2019-20 | $158M | $157M |
| 2020-21 | $158M | $157M |
| 2021-22 | $158M | $201M |
| 2022-23 | $201M | $202M |
| 2023-24 | $201M | $202M |
| 2024-25 | $201M | $202M |
| 2025-26 | $203M | — |
| 2026-27 | $206M | — |
| 2027-28 | $203M* | — |
| 2028-29 | $203M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 4 | 4 |
| 2019-20 | 5 | 5 |
| 2020-21 | 5 | 5 |
| 2021-22 | 4 | 5 |
| 2022-23 | 5 | 5 |
| 2023-24 | 5 | 4 |
| 2024-25 | 4 | 3 |
| 2025-26 | 11 | — |
| 2026-27 | 10 | — |
| 2027-28 | 9* | — |
| 2028-29 | 9* | — |
Planned spending, plan by plan
Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans
| Plan | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 plan | $157,973,476 | $157,973,476 | $157,973,833 | ||||||||
| 2019-20 plan | $157,988,645 | $157,989,002 | $157,989,002 | ||||||||
| 2020-21 plan | $158,014,164 | $158,022,047 | $158,023,030 | ||||||||
| 2021-22 plan | $158,022,047 | $158,023,030 | $158,023,030 | ||||||||
| 2022-23 plan | $201,313,755 | $201,313,755 | $201,313,755 | ||||||||
| 2023-24 plan | $201,314,246 | $201,314,246 | $201,314,246 | ||||||||
| 2024-25 plan | $201,368,561 | $201,380,109 | $201,379,813 | ||||||||
| 2025-26 plan | $202,706,502 | $202,706,203 | $202,706,203 | ||||||||
| 2026-27 plan | $206,091,814 | $202,725,839 | $202,725,839 | ||||||||
| Actual | $157,690,275 | $156,591,097 | $156,947,206 | $201,168,431 | $202,143,485 | $202,127,689 | $201,789,193 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
