Council hears about benefits of restorative justice for communities
The importance of restorative justice as a way to resolve conflict in a community was highlighted during a presentation at a regular City of Swift Current council meeting, Nov. 13.
Pamela Hamlin Kritzer made a virtual presentation during the meeting in support of the proclamation of Nov. 19-25 as Restorative Justice Week by the City.
She is the restorative justice coordinator for the alternative measures program at the Salvation Army in Swift Current, which is funded by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice.
She explained that restorative justice programs provide a path for victims and offenders to achieve healing, reconciliation and understanding.
“Restorative justice brings people involved in crime or conflict together to repair the harm that has been done in an effort to restore relationships,” she said. “Participants have the opportunity to become active players in developing an acceptable resolution to difficult situations. … It is a path of creating healthier and safer communities, one conversation at a time.”
She referred to a recent restorative justice situation that her office dealt with to illustrate the positive impact of the process. It involved a dispute between neighbours
about the behaviour of pets, which resulted in numerous calls to the RCMP and animal control.
The two parties agreed to the mediation process, even though they and the police officer involved were sceptical that any agreement could be reached.
“Both parties plus the support person for the victim attended the mediation with heightened emotions,” she said.
“It was a difficult meeting where both the mediator and the officer had to speak to the offender about controlling his angry outbursts. Through a calmer and kinder discussion of a situation involving their pets and a controlled positive input
from the victim’s support person, possible terms for an agreement were put on the table.”
The two parties were able to discuss practical ways to find a solution for their conflict and to move forward in a positive way.
“The meeting ended with a workable agreement and a reach out by the victim’s support person to the offender to get to know each other and live more peacefully within their community,” she said. “It was also an opportunity for the officer to speak to both sides about the constant calls to the detachment in a calm and controlled environment.”
Hamlin Kritzer noted the conversation that happens through a restorative justice process can be beneficial in two ways. It can resolve disputes through a process that creates practical solutions for situations and it can reduce the number of calls to the RCMP, which will free up their resources to deal with other policing matters.
Councillor Ryan Plewis said that many people might feel sceptical about restorative justice, but he has seen its benefits in his previous role as a lawyer.
“The consequences for the folks that are involved are very real,” he mentioned. “There certainly is the threat of the more traditional court process hanging over people’s heads if they aren’t going to contribute in a meaningful way.”
He added that the restorative justice process is not typically used in situations where someone is a repeat offender.
“This is typically sort of reserved for folks who haven’t maybe had very much to do with the criminal justice system in the past,” he said. “I think it’s really good for people in the public to understand what the alternative measures program really is and what restorative justice really is, because I think if you get some of these real-life examples of how exactly it works, you come to appreciate that maybe it is a pretty impactful tool that we have in the criminal justice system as well.”