Province, Halifax Regional Police, Dalhousie Launch Restorative Justice Program
The province is taking another step to keep families and communities safer by partnering with Halifax Regional Police and Dalhousie University.
Justice Minister Ross Landry, with Deputy Chief Bill Moore, Halifax Regional Police and Dalhouse University president Tom Traves, today, Sept. 12, launched the country's first restorative justice program for university students.
The program will be an alternative for Dalhousie students who come into conflict with the law on-campus or in the community, and for student conduct issues on campus. Students will have a chance to accept responsibility for their actions and the impact on others and the community.
"Restorative justice is about building confidence in the justice system by having offenders take responsibility for their actions and help victims move forward," said Mr. Landry. "Nova Scotia has one of the most well-recognized restorative justice programs in the world, with a 90 per cent success rate. I commend Dalhousie University and Halifax Regional Police for being the first to bring this program to a university."
In February 2011, the province launched an Integrated Adult Restorative Justice Pilot Project in Cape Breton Regional and Colchester municipalities. The pilot has received more than 600 referrals. The programs partner with local community organizations, including the Island Community Justice Society, the John Howard Society and the Mi'kmaw Legal Support Network.
"This project will have two important outcomes; empowering victims and community members, and changing offensive behaviours," said Deputy Chief Moore. "Victims will have the opportunity to both express the impact the offender's actions have had on their lives, as well as take part in the discussion around consequences. At the same time, the offender will be expected to take full responsibility for their actions and take steps to address the underlying issues that contributed to their offensive behaviour. This is a win-win situation."
A key part of the program is a meeting where the victim, offender and members of the community share their experiences and concerns to help reach an agreement outlining how the offender will make reparation. The referrals are made by the police before charges or the Crown, after charges have been laid.
"This is a very exciting opportunity for the University," said Dalhousie president Tom Traves. "Dalhousie will be a leader in developing this type of innovative program at a university-community level. By using a restorative approach for dispute resolution, we can move from a model based on blame and punishment towards one that encourages and supports responsibility and accountability.
"This program will complement Dalhousie's commitment to the academic and social success of our students, strengthen our ties with the community, and develop leadership and conflict resolution skills of students, faculty and staff."
The Dalhousie Restorative Justice pilot program is part of a provincewide restorative justice program and supports government's crime prevention efforts. The province invests more than $20 million annually in initiatives that support crime prevention and community safety, including the Lighthouses Program, Additional Officer Program, mental health and domestic violence courts, and Mi'kmaw Legal Support Network.
For more information on restorative justice in Nova Scotia visit www.gov.ns.ca/just/rj/program.asp .
For more information on Dalhousie Student Dispute Resolution, visit www.dal.ca/think .