National Youth Justice Policing Award

Previous Winners

2002

WINNER

Constable Jim Olsen
Lethbridge Police Service

Constable Jim Olsen was awarded the 2002 Minister of Justice National Youth Justice Policing Award for his efforts in working towards an effective solution to improving the lives of youth with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), a brain disorder affecting a number of youth in conflict with the law. He played a crucial role in developing the FAS Youth Justice Committee, a program aimed at rehabilitating the offending behaviour of FAS-affected youth. His innovative work with youth affected by FAS shows he is dedicated to dealing with a problem that has major implications for the youth justice system today.

Constable Olsen came up with the idea for the justice committee after noticing that too many young people with FAS were going through the traditional court system. Constable Olsen, along with a few community members, found a way to divert these youth away from formal court proceedings by creating the FAS Youth Justice Committee. Through the implementation of daily living plans for FAS-affected youth, the committee worked to improve the behaviour of youth who have come into conflict with the law.