Chamber
commons
Stage
2nd Reading
Introduced
Sep 19, 2025
Progress
This bill adds addiction treatment program options to the Youth Criminal Justice Act for young offenders whose crimes are linked to drugs.
Key Changes
- Police officers must consider referring young people to addiction treatment programs when their alleged offence is linked to drugs or cannabis (with the young person's consent)
- Youth justice courts can delay sentencing to allow a young person to participate in an addiction treatment program (requires consent of both the Attorney General and the young person)
- Courts can include attending an addiction treatment program as a condition in certain supervision or non-residential program orders
- Addiction treatment programs are explicitly recognized as part of the range of sanctions available under the Act
- A young person cannot be sent to custody solely because they failed or refused to comply with an addiction treatment condition
Gotchas
- Participation in addiction treatment programs at the police referral stage requires the young person's consent, meaning it cannot be forced at that stage
- Delayed sentencing to allow addiction treatment also requires consent from both the Attorney General and the young person, giving the Crown significant control over who can access this option
- The bill does not create or fund addiction treatment programs itself — it relies on programs already authorized by Attorneys General or designated provincial officials, meaning availability will vary by province
- While failing an addiction treatment condition cannot alone result in custody, it could still be considered alongside other factors in sentencing decisions
- The bill applies specifically to offences linked to controlled substances under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act or cannabis under the Cannabis Act, not to all youth offences
Who's Affected
- Young persons (under 18) who commit offences linked to drug or cannabis use
- Youth justice courts and judges
- Police officers dealing with young offenders
- Addiction treatment program providers authorized by provincial governments or Attorneys General
- Provincial governments, who must authorize and oversee eligible addiction treatment programs
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- Participation in addiction treatment programs at the police referral stage requires the young person's consent, meaning it cannot be forced at that stage
- Delayed sentencing to allow addiction treatment also requires consent from both the Attorney General and the young person, giving the Crown significant control over who can access this option
- The bill does not create or fund addiction treatment programs itself — it relies on programs already authorized by Attorneys General or designated provincial officials, meaning availability will vary by province
- While failing an addiction treatment condition cannot alone result in custody, it could still be considered alongside other factors in sentencing decisions
- The bill applies specifically to offences linked to controlled substances under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act or cannabis under the Cannabis Act, not to all youth offences
Summary
Bill C-231 changes the Youth Criminal Justice Act to better address situations where a young person commits a crime that is connected to drug or cannabis use. It gives police officers, courts, and other parts of the justice system more tools to direct young people toward addiction treatment programs instead of, or alongside, traditional punishments. Specifically, the bill allows police to refer young people to addiction treatment programs when their alleged offence is linked to drugs, with the young person's consent. It also allows youth justice courts to delay sentencing so a young person can participate in an addiction treatment program, and to include attending such a program as a condition of certain court orders. Importantly, the bill protects young people from being sent to custody simply because they failed or refused to follow through with an addiction treatment condition. This bill was introduced as a private member's bill, likely reflecting concern that the current youth justice system does not do enough to address the root causes of drug-related youth offending.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses