Cji - Grade: 92 PDF

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Community Justice Initiatives (CJI) is a non-profit organization that is known around the world for initiating the first court-sanctioned restorative justice program. Restorative Justice works to address conflict and crime by engaging the person who caused the harm, people affected by the harm, and the community. Restorative Justice seeks to achieve agreement on the truth of the event, understanding of its impact, and a determination of how to repair the harm (CJI 2017). For more than 40 years, CJI has been successfully implementing restorative justice principles to solve complex community problems. Many of these principles have been practiced by indigenous groups for generations. The mainstream restorative justice movement saw its beginning in 1974 when two probation officers Mark Yantzi and Dave Worth suggested that two teens apologize and make restitution for vandalizing the property of 22 people in Elmira, Ontario instead of going to jail. Judge Gordon McConnell agreed, setting a new legal precedent in Canada. Mark Yantzi would go on to become the executive director of what is now known as Community Justice Initiatives, founded in Kitchener Ontario. It began in 1974 under the guidance of the Mennonite Central Committee and was incorporated as a charity in 1982. (CJI 2017). Currently, the agency employs over 20 staff and more than 200 volunteers, applying restorative justice practices in over 17 different program areas. Some of the programs offered include: ● Conflict resolution services (MEDIATION) ●

Mediation services for older adults (ELDER MEDITATION)

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Victim Offender Reconciliation Program for Youth & Adults (VORP)

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Support for people impacted by sexual trauma (REVIVE)

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Guided conversations to heal broken relationships among individuals, families & community groups impacted by sexual trauma (FACILITATED DIALOGUE)

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Assistance for families involved with child protection (FAMILY CENTRED SERVICES)

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Support for women while in prison and as they return to the community (STRIDE)

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Support for youth while in custody and as they return to the community (BACKHOME)

CJI clients are as diverse as the programs they offer. The client demographic can range from school-age children participating in the restorative school program to seniors in their 90’s participating in the elder abuse and elder mediation program. CJI has integrated its services throughout various sectors of the community. CJI works in the community to offer means that promote direct accountability, which supports positive sustainable behavioural change leading to safe and connected communities. Responding restoratively can have meaningful impacts on the strength and stability of a community while offering more cost-effective ways of responding to conflict and harm than systems of punishment. They work in the community to educate the public on the benefits of restorative practice to resolve conflicts and partner with schools and the local Child Protection Agencies to provide services to those in need. CJI envisions a connected, peaceful community where all conflict is resolved in a restorative way. Their Mission statement is to” inspire safe, healthy and peaceful communities, one resolution at a time.”(CJI 2017). There are no eligibility criteria to access services at CJI, the only limitation to accessing services is the client’s willingness to participate. CJI believes that people who have offended can take responsibility for their actions, repair harm done, restore relationships, and experience healing. Although the agency operates off-reserve, a statement from CJI on their website reads, “ It is important that we recognize that our organization, Community Justice Initiatives is located on traditional Indigenous territories, home to the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Neutral Peoples. Our offices are situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land given in treaty in 1784 to the

Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River.” CJI also acknowledges that the roots of restorative justice can be traced back to many Indigenous communities, and works to ensure they are equipped to provide culturally appropriate services to both Indigenous and nonIndigenous peoples. The eligibility criteria for accessing general services at CJI is only a willingness to participate, while many of the programs are issue-specific, such as people who are incarcerated or those seeking support for sexual offences, the main criteria for service is a willingness to participate in programs and services. This criteria reflects the belief that each person is deserving of support, and that each person has the capacity for change. In terms of "deserving" or "undeserving" poor, CJI would lean more towards the view that every person is worthy and deserving of needing support or help. The agency operates from the belief that social welfare is a necessary service and one that should be built on commonality and equality. This view fits well within an indigenous worldview and the practice of restorative justice is well known and used by many Indigenous communities. One of the most common elements of restorative practice that can be seen in Indigenous communities is what is known as “healing circles”. The process is intensive and in many ways more difficult than a jail sentence because offenders are made to face and accept the harms they have caused. Victims often find the process much more satisfying and empowering than conventional justice procedures as well. They often report feeling less fear and trauma after taking part in a healing circle. (Restorative Justice 2019) The healing circle often leads to a natural agreement of what steps should be taken by the offender to correct the harms caused by their actions. I believe that overall, the agency fits relatively well into the Indigenous lifestyle and aligns with worldviews. Both value community, belief in balance and relationships and restorative practices are already used by many different Indigenous groups.

I do see some potential problems with the services the agency provides. While I do believe that many of the agency's values align with those of Indigenous communities, mainly the use of restorative practices in all programming and services, one has to acknowledge the diversity among different Indigenous communities. Not all communities share the same worldview, beliefs and practices. While there are many similarities, it would be ignorant to suggest that a one size fits approach would be appropriate for everyone. In terms of Canada being a "pluralistic society", I would like to make reference to the Two-Row Wampum Belt, which represents the Mohawk treaty with non-aboriginal peoples. The belt has a white background with two parallel purple stripes across it. One stripe represents First Nation people; the other represents non-First Nation people. Laura Mirsky explains the meaning as “It’s recognized that these two people are two different cultures with different values and principles and that the lines will always be parallel but will never meet. That allows us to carry our own values and principles in our own row and recognize that they have their own laws and values and principles on their side. If you come into our territory, our laws apply to you, and vice versa(2004). This is significant to me as it reminds me that as a non-Indigenous person, it would be inappropriate to believe that just because some of the values are shared, that the services provided would adequately support an indigenous person. CJI is an agency that is predominately non-indigenous, and none of the programming is specific to indigenous groups or issues. So, with that fact alone, I would say that more needs to be done to be able to claim CJI as an inclusive and holistic service for Indigenous persons. Also, without a significant Indigenous partnership, or visible representation from Indigenous leaders, it is unlikely that an Indigenous person would feel entirely comfortable coming to the agency to receive support or services. 1. Can you identify changes or modifications to the service or how the service is delivered

that would better serve the Indigenous community? Are the services culturally appropriate? (Approximately 500 words) One of the changes that I would implement is to include more Indigenous representation in the staff members of the agency. I think having Indigenous representation in the planning and delivery of programs and services is crucial to ensuring the services are not only inclusive to all people, but is also crucial to ensuring Indigenous voices are heard and are fully represented in our community and justice system. Furthermore, it would be beneficial to the agency to incorporate a specific program for Indigenous inmates, as they are grossly overrepresented in the prison system. Despite Indigenous and Black women accounting for 4.3% and 3%, respectively, of Canada’s adult female population, they make up nearly half of all prisoners in federal women’s institutions. (Lawson, 2020). Currently, the agency has a program named Stride, their website describes the program as, "CJI staff and volunteers help women at GVI(Grand Valley Institute for Women) to practically and emotionally prepare for release. Stride Circles are available for those who settle in the Waterloo Region but CJI also connects women reintegrating to other areas with assistance in their region. I see a few potential issues with this service. The first issue relates to the agency's ability to connect and support the inmate to her community in a significant and useful way. Lawson explained that "Commissioners of the Inquiry into the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls heard that Indigenous women were seemingly arbitrarily transferred between institutions. Being in institutions far from their communities means that the programs have less meaning to them because they are less familiar with their traditions." (2020) This is significant, given the continued legacy of the Canadian government’s attempts to break community ties among Indigenous groups and the cultural genocide committed against them. It would be incredibly hard to support an Indigenous woman to

reintegrate back to the community without proper representatives or knowledge from the community to support the process. 2. Are the services or supports provided more indicative of a residual or an institutional (Module 1) approach to helping people? (Approximately 500 words) 3. Describe how this agency utilizes knowledge about facts, practice, theory, and values and the material world to serve its clients (Module 3). (Approximately 500 words)

CJI History | Community Justice Initiatives. (2017). Retrieved 1 November 2020, from https://cjiwr.com/cji-history-2/

De Freitas, B. O. V. (2011). Restorative justice, intersectionality theory and domestic violence : epistemic problems in indigenous settings (T). University of British Columbia. Retrieved from https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0071803

Lawson, Heather (2020) Decriminalizing Race.Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives September 2020

Mirsky, Laura(2004) INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR RESTORATIVE PRACTICES

Restorative Justice | Justice Education Society. (2019). Retrieved 1 November 2020, from https://www.justiceeducation.ca/about-us/research/aboriginal-sentencing/restorative-justice...