The Ontario government Task Force on Strict Discipline for Young Offenders announced its recommendations on August 29. The Ministry of the Solicitor General and Correctional Services is to establish a "strict discipline" pilot project for 30-50 "young offenders" to be implemented within existing budgets. According to Task Force co-chair Gary Carr, "The primary goal of strict discipline programming must be to reduce the rate at which young offenders re-offend and to rehabilitate young offenders." The strict discipline programming includes a structured 16-hour day with mandatory literacy, numeracy, "life skills education," physical activity, an environment offering no idle time, uniforms, enforced codes of conduct, promotion of "positive family and community affiliations" and basic employment "training skills." After evaluation of the pilot project, the bootcamp programming is to be extended to all existing young offenders facilities "in a timely manner." This is yet the most brazen attempt by the Harris government to further divert the attention of the society from assisting the youth and instead openly train the youth in the spirit of the fascists. The problem does not lie with the youth. It lies with the society. NEGATING THE RIGHTS OF THE YOUTH Included in the recommendations of the Ontario government Task Force on Strict Discipline for Young Offenders is the establishment of a "Spartan and austere environment offering no idle time." The Task Force is thus insinuating that the youth generally have too much idle time and that they therefore become "troublemakers." The solution to this problem, according to the Task Force, is to restrict this "idle time" with a fascist military-style atmosphere. But if idle time is the cause of the problem, why does the bourgeoisie not address this issue? Why does it not ask itself what it could do for the youth so that the youth are given the opportunities to participate in opening the path for the progress of the society? Instead, the bourgeoisie has decided that yes, we will provide the youth with something to do, but they will first have to be rounded up into bootcamps and then they will be bombarded 16 hours a day with fascist military-style antics. This "solution" not only is another law and order response to a serious problem in society--the worsening conditions of the youth--it is also a further negation of the rights of the youth as a collective. By saying that one of the causes of youth "crime" is idle time, the bourgeoisie is admitting that the opportunities and the facilities provided to the youth are inadequate. But it refuses to address this issue which is that it is the society which has the problem and not the youth. The bourgeoisie is quite satisfied to continue depriving the youth of their just rights. Shawgi Tell University at Buffalo Graduate School of Education [EMAIL PROTECTED]