Underfunding in the Canadian Criminal Justice System Underfunding is the greatest challenge facing the Canadian criminal justice system. This paper will discuss the aging population of the police force and the challenges of replacing them when they retire, it will also look at the insufficient quantity of officers needed to investigate all crimes. The underfunding of the legal aid program and the effects on the courts and family law will be discussed. Finally, the effects of the long-term underfunding of the country's prison system and its effects on the most vulnerable prisoners will be measured. Not enough police officersBaby BoomersOne of the challenges facing the Canadian justice system is a lack of staff, particularly police officers. Baby boomers are approaching retirement and will lack experience and numbers. According to Macleod (2009) half of senior police officers will be eligible to retire within 5 years. Considering the shrinking labor pool, this will make it difficult to replace these officials all at once. Macleod (2009) also states that without doubling or tripling the rate of officer recruitment, the police will have to start reducing some of the tasks they currently perform. Typically, 2,000 new officials are hired across Canada each year; by 2012, however, to replace baby boomers we will need to hire 5,000-6,000. This may be more difficult than it seems, considering that the majority of young people do not seem interested in policing according to a recent survey of 1521 young people aged 16-27, which found that only 4% would think of become official (Macleod, 2009). of funding and cuts to police budgets have left Canada in a serious dilemma when it comes to capacity to manage...... middle of paper ...... Weekly: http://www.lawyersweekly.ca /index .php?section=article&articleid=1281Lunau, K. (2010, March 30). What is the agenda behind increasing the conservative prison budget? Retrieved December 2, 2010, from Maclean's: http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/03/30/whats-the-agenda-behind-the-tory-prison-budget-boost/print/Rybak, J. ( 2009 , September 16). Down by law. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from Maclean's: http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/03/30/whats-the-agenda-behind-the-tory-prison-budget-boost/print/Macleod, I. ( 2009 , November 13). Canada needs more police officers, says the head of the police board. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from Canada.com: http://www.canada.com/Canada+needs+more+police+officers+says+policing+council+boss/2221364/story.htmlWallace, M. (2008) . Police-Reported Crime Statistics in Canada, 2008. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from Statistics Canada Catalog No. 85-002-X.