Tyler's Story: One young person's interactions with the Canadian criminal justice system
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Meet Tyler
This series of products uses the fictional character of Tyler to illustrate some experiences faced by justice-involved youth in Canada, highlighting both the personal and societal costs of involvement in the justice system, as well as the potential benefits and savings of appropriate interventions.
Tyler's early life was shaped by trauma, neglect, and abuse. These challenges, combined with insufficient protective factors, led to repeated involvement with the justice system. His story reflects a broader reality: when risk factors accumulate without adequate support, youth are more likely to become trapped in cycles of criminal behaviour.
Tyler's journey highlights the emotional and economic weight of these experiences. Through his story, this series underscores the importance of effective crime prevention interventions for improving outcomes among youth and reducing the long-term costs of crime. By analyzing the economic impacts and exploring cost-saving opportunities through prevention programming, these products demonstrate the value of investing in young lives.
Developing Tyler's Story
The Tyler's Story series reflects an updated version of the 2016 Tyler's Troubled Life publication, also by Public Safety Canada. The 2026 update was made to better align with the evolving Canadian crime and justice landscape and to incorporate new data, insights, and cost-benefit analyses related to crime prevention interventions.
With these enhancements, Tyler's Story offers a compelling and timely look into the current realities of youth crime in Canada, such as the contributing risk factors, the absence of protective supports and the programs that may help prevent justice involvement.
In particular:
- A comprehensive report linking risk factors to crime and demonstrating the economic case for prevention shows how multiple risk factors can lead to ongoing criminal behaviour, especially when protective supports are lacking.
- An analytical guide detailing the frameworks, assumptions, and calculations behind the report complements the 2026 Tyler's Story report. It explains the report's approach to risk factors, cost of crime estimations, cost-benefit analyses, and associated limitations.
- A visually engaging, discussion-driven summary designed for education and public awareness offers a visually dynamic summary of the full report, enriched with questions to spark reflection and discussion. It is designed to be used in diverse settings such as workshops, university courses, and community discussions.
Together, Tyler's Story products provide a deeper understanding of youth criminal behaviour and justice involvement in Canada, while highlighting the economic impacts of crime and the potential cost-saving benefits of prevention programming.
Making our research accessible
Tyler's Story products are also available in multi-model formats that remove barriers to accessibility. This approach focuses on making the information accessible, understandable, and relevant to diverse audiences with varied access needs.
Available formats include:
- HTML webpages with visuals accompanied by alternative text and tabular data. This format is most compatible with assistive technologies, such as screen readers, Braille displays, screen magnifiers and alternative keyboard navigation.
- Dynamic Word and PDF documents with visuals accompanied by alternative text. This printable format combines data, images, words and ideas to convey information visually. It may be best suited for visual spatial learners who use colour blocking to support focus and make notes in the margins.
Contact us
If you have questions, comments, or would like to receive Tyler's Story in another format, please contact us at ps.cpbresearch-recherchespc.sp@ps-sp.gc.ca.
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