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Community Courts and VictoriaDes. Connor*Introduction
For several years, some interested residents of Victoria have discussed the prospects of a Community Court (C.C.) for our community. Some have visited New York to observe the first one, the Midtown C. C.; others heard its founder, Judge Richard Weinberg, speak inspiringly on June 13/08 at the annual meeting of the Downtown Victoria Business Association. Later, the DVBA sponsored a small group to research a C. C. for Victoria; the results are expected to be made public in the coming months.
What?
A C.C. always reflects the culture and society it serves; this was clear from recent research in eight C.C.s across the U.S., two in the U.K. and one each in South Africa and Australia. A recent definition developed in Victoria is:
“A C.C. is established to improve the quality of life in the community. The Court does so by swiftly addressing criminal matters involving those who plead guilty and by taking action on the social and health factors that are contributing to the offender’s criminal behaviour i.e. by strengthening accountability and consequences.”
Why?
The Mayor’s Task Force recently noted that 324 individuals are responsible for 23,033 police encounters and 5,547 charges over a period of 40 months and at a cost of $9.2 million. This is almost six charges per year per person. The current “revolving door” process in court is not working; other options must be pursued, including a C. C.
How?
Typically, someone charged with an offence first meets with a C.C. defence lawyer who explains the person’s situation and his/her legal options e.g. traditional court or C.C. and the court process. Next the individual meets with a staff person to identify his/her situation and needs; they then develop a personal plan for the person which may include one or more programs e.g. health treatment, skills training, housing etc. Some hours of community service may also be required. At the Vancouver C.C., a summary of the personal plans are developed before 9.00 am so they can be reviewed by the court team before the session begins at 10.00 am.
The Downtown Community Court in Vancouver has several distinctive features:
“Responsive: Provides timely and fair sentencing to better meet the needs of victims, offenders and the community.
Connected: Works with the community to improve public safety.
Collaborative: Engages community and social services to address the underlying causes of crime.”
For more information, visit communitycourt.bc.ca
Most C.C.s are different from traditional courts because:
• they provide the accused with a complete and integrated set of services relevant for the individual;
• they deliver immediate service. e.g. a person may be arrested some evening, be interviewed by the C.C.lawyer and social services staff person early the next morning, meet with the judge before noon and start on one of their programs in the afternoon.
Who?
The Vancouver C.C. Team includes: Judge Tom Gove (with the assistance of Judge David Pendleton), crown counsel, probation officers, and a variety of services - health, forensic psychiatric, income assistance, housing,, native court and victims. Half or more of offenders in downtown Vancouver have a mental illness, a drug addiction or both; many are chronic offenders with complex problems.
On Jan.14/09, a half-day Stakeholder Summit was held at Victoria City Hall to review the C.C. concept and seek input from 34 people representing the justice system, housing and social service agencies and the business community.
When?
In Sept.’05, a justice working group recommended the creation of a C.C.in downtown Vancouver; the B.C. Government endorsed the concept soon afterwards. and planners examined various models. After renovations to the former Pre-Trial Centre, the Downtown C.C. opened in Sept./08.
How much ($)?
Renovating the former Pre-Trial Centre for the C.C. cost some $4 million. Operating costs have been incurred for just six months to date.
The Seattle C.C. opened in March/05; its operating costs for 2007 were $217,000. Regular inmates in the municipal jail average 19 days, but C.C. clients stay only 6 days. This resulted in a net saving of $563,662 in 2007.
Next Steps?
These include:
• Finalize details of what might comprise a Victoria C.C.
• Develop and executie a communication plan to reach out to relevant organizations and citizens to provide them with information about the proposed C.C. for Victoria, answer their questions and seek their informed and visible acceptance and/or support.
• Secure the support of Victoria stakeholders to petition our provincial government to establish a C.C. in Victoria.
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* Des. Connor is a long-time member of the Peninsula Cross Roads Community Justice Program and is currently the webmaster of rjvictoria.org He recently worked for four months with a small group to explore creating a Community Court in Victoria.
These notes were prepared for a meeting of InfoNet on Feb. 11/09; they draw on work by the DVBA research project. |
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