Importance of Restorative Justice Week highlighted

A chance to share some of the details of the Alternative Measures Program was the highlight of a proclamation of the week of November 29 to December 5 as Restorative Justice Week in Swift Current.

The proclamation of Restorative Justice Week has become an annual occurrence by Swift Current City Council, with the program now recognized for over a decade.

Pamela Hamlin, Justice Coordinator for the Restorative Justice Program/alternative Measures which operates out of the Swift Current Salvation Army office, shared a perspective of the importance of the program. The program is an alternative to the court system which approaches justice based on restoration and reconciliation instead of punishment.

“Restorative Justice programs like ours provide a path for victims and offenders to achieve healing, reconciliation, and understanding. It is a path of creating healthier and safer communities, one conversation at a time.”

“Restorative Justice brings people involved in conflict together in an effort to repair a harm that has been done and to restore relationships,” she explained.

The federal Restorative Justice Week was observed on Nov. 15 to 22, but having a chance to showcase the local program and its impact remains important.

Hamlin gave one specific example on how program participants have an opportunity to become active players in developing an acceptable resolution to difficult situations.

This year they received a file of a few individuals who had a bar altercation, and the matter was being handled through Alternative Measures as opposed to the court system. All individuals were remorseful and acknowledged responsibility for their behaviour, however if it proceeded though the court system one of the individuals would have a Criminal Record.

“The parties involved, along with a mediator, sat down, acknowledged their mistakes and apologized to one other. The agreement that the participants wrote up included verbal and written apologies, addictions counselling, and a donation to our community youth program The Centre.”

“In the end relationships were mended, counselling helps avoid further incidents, and our community is better for it both in terms of the safety as well as a financial assistance to a great local resource for youth. This is restorative justice.”

The Alternative Measures Program deals with an average of 100 files in a year. Some of these files are further addressed in court, but ultimately returned to the program for a resolution.

Hamlin added that they receive strong support from the Crown Prosecution office, and many of their files provide outcomes with huge payoffs for the participants.

“We’ve had families reconciled. We’ve had families get counselling and find a way forward even though they’re not together. We’ve had some very dramatic files.”