Demands for changes to the act primarily focus on harsher sentencing as a means of promoting community safety. Other critical issues in the call for revisions to the YOA concern treatment consent and the use of custody. Section 22 of the YOA outlines conditions under which young persons may be detained for the purpose of treatment. The use of custody under the YOA involves two key issues, whether incarceration rates are increasing and whether the YOA prevents recidivism. The authors contend that the implementation of treatment consent and custody options has limited the ability of the youth justice system to respond meaningfully to youth crime. They review effective juvenile justice programs to highlight the need for changes to the YOA that provide adequate rehabilitative services for young people. 47 references