Whereas restorative justice has become a valuable tool in addressing certain criminal activities, by mediating a dialogue between the victim and the offender; And whereas this interaction creates a direct accountability, restitution and apology from the offender; And whereas this method of redress reduces the volume of cases before the courts: Therefore be it resolved that other orders of government mandate that restorative justice training become a compulsory component of law enforcement training.
Ministry of Public Safety Solicitor General Government acknowledges the importance of supporting initiatives that are proven to prevent and reduce crime, as well as increasing the use of restorative justice programs. Work to date has included the funding and support of Community Accountability Programs CAP, which are community-based volunteer driven restorative justice programs. CAP groups primarily accept police referrals for less serious crimes such as mischief and theft. The police are an important referral source for these programs. In partnership with the Federal Government, the Ministry also supports the use of restorative justice in British Columbia by providing funding to Indigenous Justice Programs, which offer court diversion programs, culturally informed sentencing, community supervision, community work service and re-integration after a custodial sentence. A priority for the Ministry is to enhance the use of restorative justice in British Columbia. Ministry staff are in the process of developing options for addressing this commitment. Ministry staff will ensure communication and engagement occurs with British Columbia police agencies to create awareness and increase understanding of restorative justice amongst law enforcement personnel.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada I am very supportive of exploring ways to increase the use of restorative justice in Canadas criminal justice system. Please be assured that your correspondence has been shared with the appropriate departmental officials. As you may know, a recent Restorative Justice Week took place from November 19-26, 2017, during which time the 2017 National Restorative Justice Symposium was held in Ottawa. Discussions highlighted the increased need for training on restorative justice for all justice professionals, including, as you note in your correspondence, compulsory law enforcement training. The Department of Justice Canada is working with Public Safety Canada and its agencies to increase the use of restorative justice in Canada. It may interest you to know that the RCMP provides a brief introduction to restorative justice during basic training and is exploring new training for its members about their role as a referral mechanism to restorative justice programs across Canada. In addition, information about restorative justice services at Correctional Service Canada is available at: www.csc-scc.gc.carestorative-justice003005-0001.shtml