COMMUNITY JUSTICE CENTRE
Suite C 2 – 450 Eighth Street, Courtenay BC V9N 1N5
Phone: 250-334-8101 Fax: 250-334-8102
Email: info@communityjusticecentre.ca Website: https://www.communityjusticecentre.ca/
Hours: Monday to Friday 9am – 12pm
These hours may vary and we recommend calling to ensure the office is open.
Population Served:
Youth and adults mainly referred by RCMP. The Centre also accepts referrals from individuals where both the complainant and respondent are willing to refer – as well as cases referred by shops, ICBC, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, municipal by-laws officers and non-profit organizations.
As well, the Centre co-ordinates the Critical Incident Response Protocol for addressing incidents of racism, homophobia and hate activity.
Eligibility Criteria:
As a restorative justice programme, those accepted must: participate voluntarily, acknowledge that they have hurt others and the community by their actions, and want to engage in making things right with those they hurt and the community at large.
Mission Statement:
- To promote, advance and implement the principles of restorative justice in the Comox Valley
- To educate, engage and involve residents in activities and processes that achieve non-violent solutions to criminal and other hurtful conduct.
- To develop safe, neutral and contextually sensitive environments and processes in which all parties to disputes can meet to:
- discuss the unacceptable behaviour and understand its real impacts on the individuals, their families and supporters, and the community as a whole
- respond to the emotional, physical, financial and other needs experienced by those hurt
- assist those causing the hurt to accept responsibility and accountability for their behaviour and to undertake those actions which may prevent a recurrence
- assist those involved to participate in healing themselves and the divisions between them.
Programs & Services:
- Resolution conferences are facilitated for first time offenders who have caused physical/emotional harm to people, property or the community. The respondents are held accountable to repair the damage, encourage healing through prevention and improve relationships for a safer community. Resolution conferences are organized to include offender (respondent) and victim (complainant) and their supporters and community panel members with a trained facilitator at the Community Justice Centre, usually within a month of the case being referred. A mutual agreement is acceptable to both parties and the terms of the agreement are monitored by our case co-ordinators to ensure that it is carried out. Non-compliance can result in the file being returned to the RCMP for possible legal recourse.