Youth Justice Programs

Kennedy House has operated a number of secure and open custodial programs, in a number of locations, for over twenty year. These programs operated previously under the Young Offenders Act, and presently under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. For sixteen years Kennedy house operated a high staff ratio Open Custody program in Toronto. As system changed, this program was re-purposed, in June of 2004, as a high needs female program serving the Child Welfare sector. Currently, Kennedy House provides custody and detention programming for youth detained or sentenced under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, at Kennedy House Youth Centre-Ajax. Pending a re-organisation of the Youth Justice system, the Ajax program currently serves youth detained or sentenced for offences committed prior to thier sixteenth birthday. The program offer on-site education programs and strong Cognitive-Behavioural programming targeted at addressing criminogenic risk factors.