History of youth corrections
Last updated on July 30, 2021Historical milestones:
- 1888: Appeal for separate custody for incarcerated juveniles
- 1890: Reformatory Act passed in B.C.
- 1908: Juvenile Delinquents Act (federal) was proclaimed and the Juvenile Courts Act (B.C.) was passed
- 1910: First chief probation officer appointed for juvenile offenders
- 1911 to 1914: The B.C. Industrial School for Girls was opened
- 1922: Boy's Industrial Training School opened
- 1950s: The Brannan Lake Industrial School for Boys and the Willingdon Industrial School for Girls established
- 1960s to 1990s: Emergence of attendance programs
- 1963: The Family and Children's Court Act passed
- 1970: Repeal of the provincial Training Schools Act
- 1976: House of Concord transferred to the Corrections Branch
- 1977: Proclamation of the Corrections Amendment Act
- 1984: Proclamation of the Young Offenders Act
- 1985: Impact of raising the age of young offenders to include 17-year-old youth
- Mid-1990s: Public inquiries lead to changes in youth justice and corrections
- 1996: Rise and fall of youth in custody
- 1997: Youth corrections transferred to the new Ministry for Children and Families (now Ministry of Children and Family Development)
- 1990s and 2000s: B.C. recognized nationally as a leader in the delivery of youth justice programs
- 2002: Victoria Youth Custody Services (VYCS) opens
- 2003: Proclamation of the Youth Criminal Justice Act
- 2007: Relocation of the Burnaby Youth Custody Services
- 2008 to 2009: Gender-specific policies regarding housing girls in custody implemented
- 2012: Girls in custody centralized at Burnaby Youth Custody Services with corresponding program enhancements at all centres