Restorative Justice Program
The Justice Program is a new program that has been developed over the past year. The facilitators are trained and prepared to conduct circles.
What is Restorative Justice?
Restorative justice is an alternative to the criminal justice system that seeks to move beyond jail sentences and punishment to address both the causes and consequences of offending in ways that promote accountability, healing, and justice.
Restorative justice is a process where those affected by an incident of wrong-doing come together in a safe and controlled environment to share their opinions and feelings truthfully and resolve together how to best deal with the aftermath.
Goals and Objectives
- To offer the opportunity for those affected by an incident of harm to find out why the incident occurred, resolve problems, restore justice, safety, security, and to promote healing within the community
- To work towards mutual respect and changed behaviour in a manner that respects community values
- To provide an effective, timely and alternative response to crime, with a view to repairing and acknowledging harm caused
- To keep our members out of the court system and allow the opportunity to explore the underlying causes of crime
- To strive towards reintegration for all those involved in an incident of harm within the community
Pikwakanagan’s Four Directions Program
With the guidance of trained facilitators, Pikwakanagan’s Four Directions Program will bring together those that have ben affected by an incident of harm. In the safe space of a healing circle, those affected will be given the opportunity to tell their story. This process will promote understanding and healing within the community.
Those who have been harmed can be certain that those who caused the harm understand the impact of the incident, find answers to questions, and help to identify what can be done to repair the harm. The person who caused harm accepts responsibility for the incident and can tell their side of the story, while learning how their behaviour affected others. Participants of the healing circle will work together to determine meaningful solutions to repair the harm caused by the incident.
The justice program coordinator is responsible for the general administration of Pikwakanagan’s Four Directions Program while reporting to the manager of Lands, Estates, and Membership. The coordinator will be the main point of contact for the program and will be responsible for determining the suitability of each individual case for participation in the program. The coordinator will research and develop other types of diversion programs for our members.
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