Serious Habitual Offender Program
The Serious Habitual Offender Program (SHOP) is a community-based prevention and enforcement program targeting habitual youth offenders between the ages of 12 and 21. A disproportionate amount of crime is committed by a very small percentage of youth habitual offenders. The purpose of the program is to target those offenders with the ultimate goal of preventing them from becoming career criminals.
Identified youth are selected and referred to SHOP through the Multi-Disciplinary Resource Team (MDRT). The team meets monthly to discuss options for youth at risk and is comprised of representatives from key community partners including:
- Calgary Young Offenders Centre
- Calgary Youth Attendance Centre
- Calgary and Area Child and Family Services
- City of Calgary, Youth Probation Services
- Calgary School Boards
- Calgary Police Service
SHOP officers develop a profile of each youth, looking at criminal history, their family background, living conditions, psychological history and other relevant factors. They monitor activities and investigate criminal offences committed by these youth. The officers focus on ensuring the young people have access to rehabilitation programs and, once any sentence has been served, assure their compliance with court orders and link them up with others who can help them integrate into society.
Updated: Thursday, May 12, 2011 4:49 PM