Pubdate: Fri, 26 Jan 2007
Source: Amherst Daily News (CN NS)
Copyright: Amherst Daily News 2007
Contact:  http://www.amherstdaily.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3379

YOUTH JUSTICE FALLS FAR SHORT OF MARK

It just seems like yesterday when 18-year-old Archie Billard was 
sentenced for his role in the death of popular Halifax teaching 
assistant Theresa McEvoy. Considering he was sentenced to 4 1/2 years 
in late 2004, there's something seriously wrong when he receives 
early parole a little over a year into his sentence.

Billard, who created national headlines and brought about an 11-month 
inquiry into youth justice, was given day parole on Wednesday by the 
National Parole Board so he can attend a special school for troubled 
youth. The fact remains McEvoy, 52, died instantly in Halifax when 
the car she was driving was broadsided at high speed by a stolen car 
driven by Billard, who was high on marijuana and fleeing police.

Whether Billard has been rehabilitated by his short stay at the Nova 
Scotia Youth Centre remains to be seen, but there fails to be any 
real deterrence when a youth, or anyone for that matter, only gets a 
short stay behind bars after taking someone's life. Just as Billard 
continually received slaps on the wrist during his journey through 
the youth criminal justice system, granting him early release seems 
like just another slap.

If there is anything positive that comes out of this whole affair 
it's a new understanding of just how flawed our youth criminal 
justice system is and how weak the Canada Youth Criminal Justice Act 
really is. Now that Nova Scotia has adopted the findings of the Nunn 
inquiry, let's hope the federal government also sees the light and 
makes those slaps on the wrist much more painful than they have been.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine