Collaborative Justice Program
The Collaborative Justice Project (CJP), an initiative of the Church Council on Justice and Corrections, is a demonstration project in Ottawa that began September 1, 1998. The initial aim of the Project was to demonstrate how a restorative approach in cases of serious crime can deliver more satisfying justice to victims, the accused and the community. Today, CJP’s mandate has broadened to include less serious cases, and cases involving youth.
This Project responds to concerns repeatedly expressed by those both within and outside the system that:
- the current justice system is remote from the lives of all the people affected by crime;
- there is an inadequate and unsatisfying role for victims in this process;
- the sentence by the court rarely has relevance for the offender, the victim(s) and the community;
- the current process does not address the root causes of crime;
- the current system is unable to provide communities with a sense of safety.
It is often the case that the more serious the harm done, the more necessary the need for a healing approach. The Project is unique in that it applies a comprehensive restorative approach to serious offences, assisting all those affected by crime (victims, community members and the accused) to identify and address the range of needs that can arise following criminal behaviour. People affected by crime often need information, safety and support as well as opportunities for accountability and reparation in order for the harm done to be adequately repaired.
The Project offers individual support separately to victims and accused persons as the criminal justice process unfolds and briefs all sides and discerns any opportunity and willingness for them and their communities to work together on a resolution proposal. Keeping people out of jail is not the goal of the project but a sentence other than jail often does occur, especially after the victim, accused and members of the community experience the project's holistic and comprehensive approach.
For more information, please visit the Collaborative Justice Program website.
“….The restorative justice process—when done properly, with the necessary safeguards in place—gives victims a forum to explain how crime has affected their lives, to ask questions, and to receive answers. This can lead to greater understanding and can also lead to a more positive outcome.
One excellent example can be found right here in Ottawa. The Collaborative Justice Project has been running for over three years and has been a wonderful success. The program helps victims to heal and to achieve closure, while assisting the offender to explore and repair the harm caused. For instance, if we were to imagine the swarming of a teenager by a group of other teenagers, this could be resolved by bringing the victim, offenders, their parents, and other community members together to discuss the incident and this type of crime generally. This process could lead to genuine remorse by the offenders, some closure for the victim, and an increased sense of safety for the community.”
DAVID DAUBNEY, JUSTICE CANADA