Zhuang, Luxi

The aim of the present project was to identify the questions or ambiguities that concern the staff members of the YES Shelter for Youth and Families regarding the sharing of personal information of youth clients with law enforcement agencies. To accomplish this, the relationship between homeless youth and the criminal justice system was initially researched through journal articles within the past five years to determine why homelessness can lead to criminal behaviour and why homeless youth potentially receive more attention from police. Current policies and procedures from the YES Shelter were also reviewed for ambiguities when sharing information with law enforcement. Survey question were administered to YES staff regarding the release of client information when communicating with police and probation officers. Research through a literature review identified numerous factors leading to homeless youth becoming involved in criminality, such as drug use. In addition, homeless youth often receive extensive attention from police whether they are criminally involved or not, because they are often socially profiled as "dangerous" by the public. Survey responses from YES staff showed a high and consistent level of confidence when releasing client information to the police; however the confidence level when sharing client information with probation officers was low and inconsistent. Overall, youth clients at the YES Shelter felt that their privacy was secured and protected. The research gathered from the present project aims to help the YES Shelter create privacy policies for their staff. Lastly, a list of recommendations was suggested for future research.