Cranbrook City Council have approved exploring funding options to start a Restorative Justice (RJ) program in Cranbrook.
During the council meeting this week, city staff were directed to explore grant funding opportunities to start an RJ program operated through Police Services at the Cranbrook RCMP detachment.
RJ is an approach to addressing conflict and harm and focuses on healing and repairing relationships between affected parties.
Rather than relying solely on traditional punitive justice measures, RJ provides opportunities for offenders to understand the impact of their actions, take responsibility, and make meaningful amends to victims and the community.
These programs are commonly used in collaboration with police agencies, schools, community organizations, and courts to address lower-risk offences, disputes, and community conflicts.
It involves facilitated dialogue, mediation, community service, restitution agreements, and other restorative outcomes.
Across British Columbia and Canada, RJ has become an increasingly recognized and effective tool for addressing some offences and community issues while reducing pressures on police.
Currently, RJ services available in Cranbrook are delivered by the Cranbrook and District Restorative Justice Society (CDRJS).
However, RJ services are currently very limited, externally delivered, and dependent upon CDRJS’s varying levels of capacity.
The CDRJS is a non-profit society and relies on grant funding, financial support, and partnerships with key stakeholders.
CDRJS has reported difficulty accessing funding, resulting in a significant decrease in its ability to deliver Restorative Justice programs.
Cranbrook Detachment may have access to funding streams that are not available to community agencies, such as Special Investigation and Target Enforcement (SITE) funding.
The City says that a Cranbrook RCMP Restorative Justice Program would provide a timelier, coordinated, and community-focused response while alleviating some administrative workload for Cranbrook RCMP members.
As a pilot program, city staff recommend a one-year part-time position through external grant funding.
The Restorative Justice Coordinator position would be a municipal employee position in the Police Support Services department at the Cranbrook RCMP detachment.
The pilot program would provide an opportunity to gather data, such as the number of program referrals and program success rates, for the City to evaluate the benefits and costs of a long-term Restorative Justice program, possibly funded through the municipal budget.
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