Frequently Asked Questions

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About Restorative Justice

About CJI

Mediation

Women In Prison

Affected by Sexual Offences

About Restorative Justice

Is Restorative Justice soft on crime?

Is Restorative Justice soft on crime compared to Canada’s traditional justice system?

Restorative justice can be a very difficult process. It takes a lot of courage to meet face to face. However, we believe it is neither “soft on crime” or “hard on crime”, instead it is more effective than our traditional system.

Restorative Justice is smart on crime. Incarceration and other punitive measures do not create accountability. Addressing crime according to the expressed needs of the victim can bring about meaningful restitution, increased feelings of safety and essential changes in attitudes and behaviours.

Restorative justice processes have been shown to be more effective than the traditional system in reducing recidivism (returning to crime) and have high levels of satisfaction from both victims and offenders.

What happens if someone doesn’t want to participate in restorative justice?

What happens if the victim or the offender doesn’t want to participate in restorative justice process?

Restorative justice processes require the participation of everyone to be effective. However, sometimes victim surrogates meet with other offenders where there is a similar harm.

Can restorative justice be used in cases of serious crime?

Restorative justice can be very effective in cases of serious crime. There are different strategies and techniques that are used by facilitators who are helping people involved in serious crime dialogue together. Restorative Justice is suitable when victims freely choose to participate and when offenders can demonstrate accountability. The level of harm has no bearing on achieving successful outcomes.

There has also been research into restorative justice options for persons involved in incidents of serious crime. Final results of one evaluation indicated “that almost all program participants were highly satisfied with the restorative approach, especially when compared to participants who experienced only the traditional criminal justice system. Victims and offenders were offered the opportunity to actively participate in the decision-making process, in developing a reparation plan and in some cases, providing a sentencing recommendation. Overall, individuals affected by serious crime were empowered to achieve satisfying justice through a restorative approach.

Rugge, T., Bonta, J., & Wallace-Capretta, S. (2005). Evaluation of the Collaborative Justice Project: A restorative justice program for serious crime. (User Report 2005-02). Ottawa: Public Safety Canada.

About CJI

Does CJI have a complaint process?

Does CJI have a complaint process for program participants who are dissatisfied with a service?

Program participants may disagree with or feel dissatisfied with the service provided by Community Justice Initiatives (CJl). CJI welcomes your feedback on our programs and we have a complaint procedure to ensure concerns are promptly and appropriately addressed. The following document explains our complaint process.

Program Complaints Process

Does CJI have a privacy policy?

Does CJI have a complaint process for program participants who are dissatisfied with a service?

CJI values your privacy. Please read our privacy policy for more information. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Julie Friesen at julief@cjiwr or at 519-744-6549 extension 107.

Does CJI have an accessibility policy?

CJI does have an accessibility policy. Please read our accessibility policy for more information. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Julie Friesen at julief@cjiwr or at 519-744-6549 extension 107.

Accessibility Policy

Does CJI advocate on behalf of individuals or organizations?

Due to CJI’s role as a neutral third party organization, we cannot advocate on behalf of individuals or organizations. Our neutrality is essential for providing effective service to participants seeking mediations.

Mediation

Is there a fee for CJI’s mediation services?

Many of our mediation services are free. However, we do charge a nominal fee for family mediations requiring the development of a parenting plan. We also have a sliding fee scale for our housing and workplace mediations.

What is mediation?

Mediation is a conflict resolution process used to help individuals, families, neighbours, coworkers and classmates to resolve conflict. During a mediation, trained facilitators ensure that everyone has a chance to speak and to listen. Participants discuss how a situation impacted them and ask questions. All are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions, listen to others’ perspectives and to repair harm. At the end of the mediation, participants leave with a mutually acceptable plan to move forward.

Forgiveness is not essential to a mediation. In a victim-offender mediation, the full benefit of victim’s needs being met and offender accountability can occur completely without forgiveness.

How does the mediation process unfold?

Mediation is a voluntary process that requires the engagement of all parties involved to be successful. When an inquiry is made, a CJI Service Coordinator will contact all parties to confirm their desire to participate. If there is consensus to proceed with mediation, two mediators are assigned to the case. Mediators have an initial confidential one-on-one meeting with each participant, called case development. During case developments, mediators explore the relationship and the causes of conflict from each participant’s perspective. After case developments are concluded, the mediator will arrange a face-to-face mediation with all participants.

Where do the mediations occur?

Meeting rooms at CJI’s offices serve well as a neutral location for mediations. Where appropriate, we also host mediations in other neutral spaces such as a community centres. Many of our Elder Mediations occur where older adults are residing – their homes, retirement homes, long term care facilities, etc.

Who are your mediators?

CJI’s mediators are trained and supervised volunteers who have completed the Transformative Mediation Training through Conrad Grebel University College. Mediators tend to work in pairs, a lead mediator and co-mediator. Lead mediators have extensive experience plus additional training.

What is a Victim Impact Statement and why is it important?

A victim impact statement (VIS) is a written statement that describes the harm or loss suffered by the victim of an offence in his or her own words. These statements give the victim a voice and can be read in court by the victim or someone else.

A VIS is important because the court considers it when sentencing the offender. A VIS also gives the offender an opportunity to reflect on the harm he or she caused another person.

Why do you work with offenders not just victims?

Mediation works best if all people involved in a situation participate. Offenders are crucial to the process in that they can answer victims’ questions and can talk with the victim about ways to repair the emotional and material harm (to the degree that it is possible). The process can also be beneficial to the offender as s/he is able to take direct and personal accountability for their actions, as well as learn directly from the victim about the consequences of their actions.

Is it safe for victims and offenders to meet each other face-to-face?

Protecting participants’ safety is our first concern. Our service carefully screens cases for safety before they meet face-to-face. Our mediators also use strategies and specific techniques to ensure that participants are safe. After all options have been exhausted, the face-to-face meeting does not happen if the participants do not feel safe.

Women In Prison

Why do women end up in jail in Canada?

Women involved in the justice system in Canada frequently face multiple challenges that influence their pathways to crime. A number have been living in a cycle of chronic poverty and marginalization prior to incarceration. Often, these women have experienced significant abuse and trauma in their lives. The Task Force on Federally Sentenced Women (1990), for example, found that more than two-thirds of women interviewed had been physically abused as children or adults and more than half of them (53%) had been sexually abused at some point in their lives. Addiction is also a significant issue that impacts criminal activity. More than half of women in prison report substance abuse. In Canada, 69% of federally sentenced women indicated that drugs and/or alcohol played a major role in their criminalization. Crime was either a way to obtain drugs, drug money, or alcohol and/or crimes were committed under the influence of substances. (See MAIDMENT, 2006 p 67, 72-73)

What barriers do women coming out of jail face?

Women returning to the community after a period of custody face several barriers to a successful reintegration. Many women will have lost their employment, their belongings, their housing and custody of their children. Often they must start from scratch and overcome significant stigma. Securing employment can be particularly challenging. Low self-esteem, lack of training, mental illness, substance abuse issues, a lack of stable accommodation, and a criminal record can all contribute to difficulty finding a job.

As well, women are often unable to find suitable, affordable living arrangements and may end up homeless. Social isolation often leads women back to old behaviour patterns and may even lead to re-incarceration. (SEE Borzycki, 2005, p 36; Borzycki and Makkai, 2007, p 10, Visher, et al., 2005; Rakis, 2005; Graffam, et al., 2004)

Why do you help women in jail?

All but a few women will one day be released back into society. Helping them to successfully reintegrate prevents crime and makes communities safer for everyone. As well, from our experience the majority of women who are in jail (federal or provincial prison) want to change, live productively, and provide for their families. In order for these women to be successful, the community needs to be more accepting and supportive as the women try to make changes. It is important that we not only prepare the women for release, but that as a community we come together to support them as they find new social networks, employment, housing, volunteer opportunities, etc.

We all benefit when women don’t return to high-risk activities or crime and instead find a positive place in our communities.

What’s the best way to help women returning from jail?

What’s the best way to help women returning to the community from jail?

The importance of offering community-based programming within women’s correctional facilities has been continuously highlighted for the last three decades—particularly in the 1990 Creating Choices report. Unfortunately, Canadian institutions (prisons, hospitals, treatment facilities) rarely permit or encourage constructive relationships established within the institutions to continue when a woman is released. To bridge this gap, CJI’s Stride program introduces women in prison to community volunteers and agencies through our weekly Stride Night. Bringing volunteers and agencies into the prison builds trust between incarcerated women and their communities.

Through Stride, positive changes accomplished inside the prison can continue because women can choose to be supported by a Circle of volunteers that they connected with while in custody. Stride Circles are a proven and effective model for supporting people who are marginalized but motivated to change. Circle programs reduce social isolation. Research has demonstrated that reduced social isolation, marked by increased bonds to the community, healthy relationships and access to support systems, reduces the risk of recidivism (returning to crime). The ultimate goal of Stride is that through their Circles, the women will establish healthy connections to the community and constructive networks of social support that will help them reintegrate successfully. (SEE Hirschi, 1969; Sampson & Laub, 2005; Willis & Grace, 2008, p 220)

Most women in the Canadian justice system are already marginalized and this was part of their pathway to crime. Going to prison further compounds the barriers to these women becoming healthy, productive citizens.

Does CJI have similar programs for men and youth coming out of prison?

In the past we have supported both men and youth, but due to a lack of funding we can no longer offer them. These programs included our program called BackHome, which partnered with two local programs who work with youth in conflict with the law, and Stridemen which supported men in local treatment centers and halfway houses.

Affected by Sexual Offences

Why do you help sex offenders?

A Restorative Justice framework incorporates victim, offender and community in the response to harm and healing. In keeping with restorative justice principles, CJI provides services to ALL who are impacted by sexual harm, including survivors of sexual harm, people who have caused harm, partners, families, and their communities.

We believe that educating and supporting people who have offended sexually and their families plays an important role in preventing future incidents of sexual violence. Often people who have offended sexually do not receive specific treatment or support while incarcerated. As a result, they face many challenges when reintegrating to their communities.

The Revive program recognizes the importance of support and belonging for these individuals and assists them in understanding how and why they have made harmful choices, so that they can make healthier choices moving forward. Overall we strive to create safer, healthier communities.

Can sex offenders really change?

Absolutely! Sexual offending behaviour involves unhealthy thoughts often combined with unhealthy choices and behaviour. Providing them with a safe, confidential, non-judgemental place to grow in their understanding about the harmful impact of these decisions (victim empathy), is an important part of their change process.

Through attendance in various education and support groups, people who have offended sexually have the opportunity to speak openly and honestly about matters related to sexual offending behaviour, thus ending the silence that perpetuates continued sexual harm.

Isn’t it offensive to victims of sexual abuse for you to help sex offenders?

We know that a large number of sexual offences happen within families, in neighbourhoods, and between people who know one another.

Victims often prioritize repairing relationships or continue to have to navigate relationships with people who caused the sexual harm or (with family members who are in contact with those who harmed them). Because of this, it is helpful and healing to have a place where survivors can sort out their often complex response to a desire for reparation.

Survivors of sexual trauma often identify the importance of their perpetrator receiving support in order to reduce the likelihood of further sexual harm.

Does the sex offender registry in Canada keep people safe?

Registered sex offenders (RSOs) report that participating in professional support services, like those offered by CJI and other organizations, is much more helpful in keeping themselves and others safe compared to their compliance with the various registries.

The National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR) and Ontario Sex Offender Registry (OSOR) gather and track certain information pertaining to RSOs, and provide yearly address verifications. This may provide communities with a sense of safety. However, in order to truly effect changes in thinking, behaving, and decision making with regard to sexual offending behaviour, education and support have been proven to assist persons who struggle with these unhealthy, harmful choices.

Why does CJI call them “people who have offended sexually” not “sex offenders”?

CJI does not regard people primarily as their offence. Ultimately people who have offended sexually are human beings who have made harmful choices and mistakes.

The term “sex offender” adds to stigma by labelling people for the most harmful thing they have ever done. Similarly we do not refer to people who have survived sexual trauma as “victims” as once again, this identifies them singularly and primarily as having been sexually victimized.

We are mindful of the labels that exist that identify people by one experience, instead of recognizing and valuing all of who they truly are.