From Riot to Restoration: The Vancouver Restorative Justice Initiative
This project also has a Changeshop where you can read more about its latest progress.
Go to Changeshop: From Riot to Restoration:Vancouver Restorative Justice Initiative.
Our solution is to make Restorative Justice a viable and preferred option for dealing with conflict and offenses committed in Vancouver, B.C., and Canada.
Sobre ti
Sobre ti
Nombre
frank
Apellido
tester
URL en Twitter
URL en Facebook
Sobre tu organización
Nombre de la organización
Vancouver Association for Restorative Justice
Sitio web de la organización
País de la organización
Canadá, BC, Vancouver
Country where this solution is creating social impact
Canadá, BC, Vancouver
Region in BC where your solution creates social impact
Vancouver.
Tu organización es
OSC/ONG
¿Cuánto tiempo ha estado operando la organización?
Más de 5 años
La información que brindes aquí será usada para llenar las partes de tu perfil que hayan sido dejadas en blanco, como intereses, organización, y sitio web. Ninguna información de contacto será hecha pública. Por favor desmarca esta casilla si no deseas que esto suceda..
Innovación
Selecciona la fase que describa mejor el momento en el que se encuentra tu emprendimiento
Idea (estás listo para lanzarla)
¿Cuánto tiempo se lleva poniendo en práctica tu iniciativa?
Operando entre 1-5 años
The Need: Describe the need for your solution and the size and characteristics of the community(ies) your solution is engaging
The Vancouver hockey riots of June 2011 left an indelible mark on the City of Vancouver. Many participants (over 200 cases) were young people with no previous criminal record. Their actions left many others - young people working for downtown businesses and citizens from all walks of life (hundreds of people)- traumatized; their material and psychological interests severely affected. The limits of the court system in dealing with these cases have been recognized by Crown prosecutors, the Vancouver Police Department and representatives of the Downtown Business Improvement Association; all of whom have been working with the Vancouver Association for Restorative Justice (VARJ) in developing an alternative/parallel process for dealing with those accused and those affected.
La solución: ¿Cuál es tu solución? Sé específico.
The Vancouver Association for Restorative Justice (VARJ), with community support, is proposing to use Restorative Justice(RJ) processes to address the behaviour of offenders and the needs victims. RJ does not necessarily replace the criminal justice system. It aims to restore the offender to the community by bringing the offender and those affected together in a process designed to put the offender in touch with his or her behaviour, its genesis and consequences and the impact on others. It works toward restitution, growth and change. RJ is a well-established, thoroughly researched and effective approach to dealing with the kind of offenses committed during the Vancouver hockey riots. Many citizens of Vancouver, based on letters to the editor, etc., are disillusioned with the ability of the justice system to effectively deal with these cases. We propose to pilot an alternative RJ process, with the support of a wide range of community interests.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include the primary activities involved in your solution.
Peter broke into London Drugs. Fueled by alcohol and urged on by other young people, he smashed glass cases and stole digital cameras while youthful employees, barricaded inside a glass-walled office, watched in horror as their workplace was trashed. They feared for their own safety. Peter, 19, had never done anything like this before.
Restorative justice processes require the voluntary participation of the offender and those affected. (1) Practitioners meet separately with both parties to prepare them for a face-to-face conference in which both parties will explain what they did and how they were affected. This process usually requires a number of sessions. (2) Participants are prepared to explain what they did; offering insight into their behaviour in terms of preexisting attitudes, values, sensibilities, socialization, lived experience, etc. Victims are helped to express their feelings; the impact that someone's actions had upon them and how their lives were affected. Both parties are helped to think about meaningful reparations and resolutions. (3) The parties, with 'supporting Others' are brought together in a conference to communicate in a manner designed to facilitate understanding, leading to restitution, apologies and ongoing commitments to address factors contributing to the offense. (4) The offender makes restitution and commits him or herself to addressing his or her behaviour. Restitution can involve payments, community service, speaking publicly to other youth, adults, etc. Restitution can involve actions and commitments that last for years.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others working to address the same needs as you and indicate what sets you apart from them.
There are no competitors in this process. We have, however, many peers including others in neighbouring municipalities who, unlike the City of Vancouver, have established successful RJ programmes. We have the support of the Office of the Attorney General, BC, The Ministry of Justice, the City of Vancouver, the Downtown Business Improvement Association, the Vancouver Police Department, the Crown Prosecutor's Office, The Center for Restorative Justice, Simon Fraser University and the School of Social Work, UBC, and many Vancouver residents. Furthermore, we ultimately intend to extend this initiative to deal with other social problems in the city including bullying in the school system and disputes brought to the attention of staff of the city's neighbourhood houses and community centers.
Esta presentación se trata de
Impacto social
Historia de la fundación: Queremos saber acerca del momento en el que hiciste "¡Ajá!". Comparte la historia de dónde y cuándo el/los fundador(es) vio (vieron) el potencial de esta solución para cambiar el mundo.
Unlike surrounding jurisdictions, Vancouver has no active restorative justice program. In 2006, the City of Vancouver's Family Court/Youth Justice Committee realized this and set out to do something about it. The Vancouver Association for Restorative Justice was created to promote knowledge about and the practice of restorative justice in Vancouver. Having held informative and interesting information meetings and public events for years, committee members recognized that the hockey riots of 2011 presented VARJ with an opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of restorative justice in a way and with regard to an event that has attracted national attention. We have an opportunity to catch the minds and imagination of people willing to think critically and creatively about justice and justice issues, coast to coast by focusing on its use in dealing with the riots as well as other important issues for the citizens of Vancouver and Canadians, coast to coast.
Por favor, describe el objetivo de tu iniciativa: un resumen de lo que están tratando de lograr
The goal of our Restorative Justice Demonstration project is to show how the principles and practices of restorative justice can be applied in Vancouver as a parallel process to meet needs of victims, offenders and affected communities that the criminal justice system was never designed to address. We are currently designing an RJ project in consultation with Crown Counsel and Police that will accept a fixed number of referred cases where both the victims and (first-time) offenders have voluntarily welcomed the opportunity to participate. The process will be documented and evaluated by a team from Simon Fraser University's Centre for RJ which will include a cost-benefit analysis in comparison to the cost of a full criminal process; and recommendations for continuing if warranted.
¿Cuál ha sido el impacto de la solución hasta la fecha?
After a full year of volunteer effort to attract interest in our goals, we have been able to engage a core group of key decision-makers within the justice system to form an advisory committee to refine our design proposal and work on implementation details
Cuál es tu impacto proyectado para los próximos 5 años?
Over the next five years we expect to provide sufficient evidence that an RJ process can be implemented in Vancouver; expect to have implemented an ongoing RJ program with stable funding; expanded the educational component of RJ to cover other contexts where the need for such approaches has been identified including human rights enforcement and anti-bullying programs. On local and national scale we will enhance public understanding of and respect for the scope and limitations of the formal, adversarial systems (e.g. criminal; family; administrative tribunals) for addressing alleged transgressions. In Vancouver, we expect some measurable cost reductions from the diversion of first offenders. Victims will be heard and Vancouver will establish itself as a role model for the practice of RJ.
Las iniciativas ganadoras presentan un plan fuerte de cómo van a alcanzar y realizar un seguimiento del crecimiento. Identifica tus metas a seis meses para el crecimiento de tu impacto
Identifica tres grandes tareas que tendrás que completar para llegar a las metas de seis meses.
Tarea 1
Complete the project design and implementation plan for the Vancouver RJ Demonstration Project
Tarea 2
Secure sufficient funding to support the retention of RJ practitioners, evaluation researchers and coordinator
Tarea 3
Set up project administration to retain needed personnel and oversee project managment
¡Ahora piensa en grande! Identifica tu meta de impacto a 12 meses.
Identifica tres grandes tareas que tendrás que completar para llegar a tu meta de impacto a 12 meses
Tarea 1
Complete project documentation, evaluation and recommendations for converting to an ongoing RJ program
Tarea 2
Secure funding sources for an ongoing RJ program
Tarea 3
Open the eligibility criteria to include offender referrals at any stage from investigation through prosecution & disposition
Sostenibilidad
Cuéntanos sobre tus alianzas.
We have strong partnerships to make this project work. They include
Crown Counsel for BC, the office of the Vancouver police in charge of the investigation team preparing information for Crown Counsel, a senior representative of the BC Ministry of Justice,the Director of Simon Fraser University's Centre for Restorative Justice, the Dean of the Anglican Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Vancouver, the Executive Director of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association and the UBC School of Social Work, as well as representatives from many other organizations in the city.
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your solution? If so, where and why?
There is considerable talk about RJ in British Columbia, Canada and internationally. RJ is currently being practiced in some jurisdications. It deserves more attention. We recently hosted a former advisor to the British Government who is using RJ to deal with recent London riots. We intend to model RJ in Vancouver and actively use our experience to promote, in the next 3 years, RJ throughout BC and across the country. Our group includes individuals with solid reputations as lecturers, speakers and facilitators. We know how to use media, lobby and promote a concept whose time has come.
¿Qué tipo de sistema operativo y factores internos de la organización hacen que tu innovación sea un éxito?
We get along - simply put. Our board and associates are a congenial, energetic, diverse and enthusiastic group. We have a president, vice-president, administrator, treasurer and committee chairs. We work well together. We have a wide range of experience and expertise. We respect one another. Our group dynamics are excellent. We socialize together and support and attend other and related events in which each of us are involved. We create committees to deal with oppotunities, needs as they arise, and to accomplish our objectives. We have an excellent administrator who keeps all our records; minutes, legal documents, papers and articles relevant to our work. We are effective because we are energized. We practice - as well as promote - the principles of restorative justice.
Por favor, pon en claro las necesidades u ofertas que hayas mencionado anteriormente y/o sugiere categorías de apoyo que no están especificadas en la lista
We are open to collaborating with and accepting into VARJ others whose skills may compliment or duplicate those we already have. We are willing to share our experience and expertise with others. We are an organization of professionals as well as lay persons with a wealth of experience. Our greatest need is funding to put into practice a model for RJ in the city of Vancouver - and beyond.
 | 43 weeks ago frank tester updated this Competition Entry. |
| 44 weeks ago frank tester updated this Competition Entry. |
| 45 weeks ago frank tester updated this Competition Entry. |
| 46 weeks ago Amanda Armstrong said: Great idea! You should check out Peacebuilders International. The founder/owner is an Ashoka Canada Fellow and she does similar work ... about this Competition Entry. - leer más > |
| 48 weeks ago frank tester updated this Competition Entry. |
| 48 weeks ago frank tester updated this Competition Entry. |
| 48 weeks ago frank tester submitted this idea. |