Restorative Justice presents a challenging and courageous approach to addressing harm. Restorative processes require individuals to engage deeply with those they have wronged, often in difficult and uncomfortable ways. Punishment processes do not focus on transforming beliefs or behaviours, whereas restorative justice focuses on building accountability that are meaningful to those harmed. Through dialogue, accountability work, and seeking to meet people’s unmet needs, restorative justice works to seek a transformative, rather than lenient, response to crime.
Restorative justice processes prioritize the participation of everyone affected by harm. However, in some cases, surrogates may step in to meet with those impacted or those responsible for the harm to facilitate understanding and accountability. Additionally, individuals may take personalized steps toward accountability or deeper understanding through conflict coaching, accountability coaching, and other forms of meaningful engagement.
Yes, 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.
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, found here.
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.
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.
Most of our mediation services are free. However, we have a sliding fee scale for our workplace mediations and training.
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.
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.
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.
CJI’s mediators are trained and supervised volunteers who have completed the Transformative Mediation Training through Conrad Grebel University College. Mediators work in pairs, co-facilitating with each other. This allows for a matching of skills and experience. The mediators support each other and the participants through the process
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.
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 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)
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
7-808 Courtland Avenue East
Kitchener, ON, N2C 1K3
Call: 519-744-6549
Monday 9:30 to 4:30
Tuesday – Thursday 8:30 to 4:30
Friday Closed
Please Note: Scheduled programs, training and appointments may happen outside of office hours.
CJI creatively, and innovatively applies restorative justice principles to challenging community problems.
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