Restorative justice comes with price: advocates

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This article was published 22/05/2015 (3258 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A police pledge to put more focus on restorative justice has prompted reserved applause from some non-profit organizations charged, on precarious budgets, with serving up community-based methods of restitution and reconciliation.

In its strategic plan released earlier this week, the Winnipeg Police Service said it would act on the wishes of community groups by reviewing its policies about when officers should refer people to restorative-justice programs instead of laying charges.

The move to encourage more of these referrals over criminal charges for minor disputes would bring the police service in line with Manitoba’s Restorative Justice Act, which is due to be implemented this summer. The legislation aims to relieve pressure on clogged criminal-court systems and correctional centres by setting out ways in which certain offences — such as those committed by people struggling with mental-health or addictions issues — may be dealt with outside of the traditional justice system.

Restorative justice typically focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large.

“It’s great to hear that, but in a way it’s also passing the buck,” said Carlos Sosa, a five-year volunteer with the Winnipeg chapter of Circles of Support and Accountability. The program, which works to rehabilitate sex offenders who have served their sentences, lost its federal funding after cuts came into effect April 1.

“It’s great that the police are talking about this, but funding is a huge issue for organizations and if you’re not giving them the funding, you can’t do that work.”

The police service’s strategy presents the hope a restorative-justice approach — one that focuses on community instead of criminal punishment — could reduce minor crimes, particularly ones committed by young people and first-time offenders.

“The (WPS) will work with community partners to identify those persons who are in danger of becoming more involved in crime and to direct them to support services designed to deter them from future involvement,” the report reads.

As a result, programs such as Mediation Services, which provides a court-diversions program and conflict resolution in Winnipeg, are preparing for a workload increase, said executive director Erwin Warkentin.

“At least from what we’re hearing, the intention from the leadership of the police service is certainly to encourage the officers on the street to consider mediation as an alternative to some of the more high-handed kind of things that sometimes happen,” he said, adding he fully supports police involvement in community-based programs.

“To move along the lines to restorative justice is certainly something that we have always been hoping would happen. We’re aware of the fact that in some jurisdictions, even in Canada, the road towards restorative justice has been travelled much further than what we have here in Manitoba.”

But if its caseloads rise, the non-profit organization will need more financial support, he said. Mediation Services relies on about $5,000 annually from city coffers, as well as funding from the United Way and the province’s Justice Department.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca