Minutes for RJ InfoNet Meeting

Meeting Held at: Victoria Police Station in the Community Room from 1 to 3 PM.

 In attendance: Eleanor Laboucan, Etta Connor, Geanine Robey, Sam Al-khalib, Aharon Ittah, Mark Buerfeind, Peter Lauren, Jim Hackler, Doreen Hunter, Elena Merritt, and Sue Langlois.

 1.     Meeting Introductions and Prior Meeting De-brief:

Doreen Hunter acted as meeting chair. Elena Merritt took the meeting’s minutes. Each meeting member introduced themselves to the group, giving background on their involvement with restorative justice in the Victoria region.

 2.     Guest Speaker - Eleanor Laboucan:

Etta Connor introduced the guest speaker, Eleanor Laboucan. Eleanor has had seven years of experience working in the mental health field in the Prairies. Eleanor now works with the Saanich Native Support Program. Eleanor is also planning and organizing with Etta a peacemaking program for the East Saanich reserve.

 Eleanor first explained her role in the Saanich Native Support Program, where she works with at-risk youth. Through this program, Eleanor mentors teenagers and helps them overcome difficult situations.  She joined the Peninsula Crossroads board this past October. In all, Eleanor envisions restorative justice (RJ) as a process and initiative that makes people aware of each other. Society members need to know that another way exists to solve legal problems, not only the conventional court process. Eleanor elaborated on the peacemaking initiative in East Saanich, stating that its goal is to promote RJ and its ability to transform communities. The peacemaking project will have both an English and a Coast Salish name. Eleanor introduced the logo of the peacemaking project to the meeting members. The logo was created and painted by a grade ten student at the Tribal School in Saanich. The student shows a great passion and promise to be an artist, and has already won an award for creating a logo for a science research project. Eleanor discussed the different ways that the Native Support Program helps teenagers, which included planning and holding engaging activities, such as canoe racing.

 3.     Question and Answer Period with Eleanor Laboucan:

 Doreen thanked Eleanor for her talk and opened the floor to questions. Geanine Robey asked how the Native Support Program handles youth who have problems in their family. Eleanor answered that if a youth is at risk within the home, their program will find ways to help. It is their policy not to say ‘no’ to anyone. Peter Lauren asked what the appropriate procedure was for younger children at risk in the home. Eleanor responded that for children, the Ministry of Child and Family Department is responsible to investigate, but their program can make requests for investigations. Sue Langlois also wondered whether drugs and alcohol are the biggest problem for the youth. Eleanor agreed that drugs and alcohol are the main issue for the Native Support Program with youth. To deal with this issue, the program brings in motivational speakers and holds workshops on drugs and alcohol. Yet Eleanor acknowledged that she cannot monitor the youth in the area twenty-four seven, so it is difficult to ensure that trouble does not continue to occur. Doreen asked if the program was given more funding what Eleanor thought would be its best use. Eleanor recognizes the drug and alcohol issue to be a difficult and complicated problem to tackle, but would put funding towards removing a known party and drug house on the reserve and send the inhabitants for drug rehabilitation treatment.

 Doreen then opened the floor to other meeting members who have had experiences of dealing with drug houses. Sue expressed that the first steps should be for the individual people to make amends with themselves and to go for drug and alcohol treatment. Constable Mark Buerfiend explained that the Victoria Police Department gathers a team of different officials, including police officers, fire inspectors, and social workers, to address the drug house. The team would enter the house together to investigate whether it was safe to live in. Usually, what resulted was that the drug house was either dismantled because it was inhospitable or the owners vacated. The Victoria Police Department has found that this dispersion, causing drug houses not to cluster, is most effective in dealing with drug houses. As Constable Buerfiend said, “Fighting small fires is easier than fighting one big fire.” Although this procedure is effective, Constable Buerfiend acknowledged that gathering the various agencies together is often difficult, as is gaining permission to enter the house. Regarding the professional agencies, Jim Hackler expressed concern about the turn-over rate for professionals dealing with youth issues. Often, young people do not know which professional person they should seek and contact if they need help. With different agencies involved, how should a young person know which person is best to go to? Jim explained how in one Quebec region a police officer was designated as the main conduit for young people to gain access to social services, etc. Jim further discussed that Fiji also has an effective bureaucracy in dealing with young people. For instance, very few cases were brought to the court level because the police dealt with the issues beforehand.

 Doreen re-focused the meeting with a few last questions for Eleanor. Geanine wondered what Eleanor thought about the issues facing urban Aboriginal people versus Aboriginal people in rural areas. Eleanor acknowledged that Aboriginal people living in urban centres do not have the same community atmosphere and connection as in rural areas, as they do not live in a homogenous region. At the same time, Eleanor said that urban Aboriginal people have the resourceful Native Friendship Centre, which has more resources than Eleanor’s own program. The Centre also takes cases from the Crown. Peter then asked the last question, enquiring how the community reserve is aware that services and resources are available to them. Eleanor responded that this new peacemaking initiative will promote restorative justice in the community and its available services. Moreover, usually each band will make the community aware of workshops and the reserve’s alcohol and drug counselor.

 4.     De-brief on Last Month’s Talk with Assistant Deputy Attorney General Bob Gillen:

 Doreen asked meeting members about Bob Gillen’s talk at the last Infonet meeting. Geanine summarized Bob Gillen’s talk last month. Geanine noted that Bob Gillen was delighted about the community initiatives and volunteers for restorative justice in the Victoria region. Bob Gillen also emphasized that restorative justice is meant to be a community endeavor and the community should pay for its costs. Etta Connor then wondered whether having only the community funding is limiting for restorative justice projects, as the community often is strained in its ability to provide funding. On this note, Doreen read a letter from the Town of Gibsons to the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General asking for clarification on the funding from the province to restorative justice. Jim wondered whether the Family Court Committee should make the same type of letter to the provincial government. Tara, a municipal councilor, is currently making presentations on funding for restorative justice. Etta remarked that each committee should write a letter to the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General and this would make for a stronger submission. Overall, Sue said that the Bob Gillen talk was encouraging as it showed that someone in government is extremely supportive of restorative justice, even though no funding is available from the Attorney General Ministry.

 Jim then discussed restorative justice’s traditional origins. Originally, restorative justice would only focus on bringing people who were excluded from society back into society. Aharon Ittah then asked: if exclusion from society is looming for certain people, how does a restorative justice process help these people? Jim acknowledged that restorative justice now encompasses both people who are excluded from society and those on the edge. In a diversion process, the person is already charged but the Crown is deciding the specific sentence; however, in a restorative justice process, the person is not charged yet. Geanine elaborated that in most of the cases referred to RJ Victoria, people are already on the edge of society.

 Peter commented that people often ask him at William Head: what is restorative justice? He usually responds that restorative justice is used as a large umbrella term and is thus hard to define. Eleanor and Etta explained that their initiative in the East Saanich reserve is called a peacemaking circle and not a restorative justice process. Sam Al-khalib emphasized that people should know that restorative justice is a process and not a quick and simple solution. Overall, meeting members recognized that restorative justice is an all-encompassing term and needs more clarification.

5.     Report on RJ Conference held in Vancouver:

 Eleanor discussed the various workshops that she attended at the conference; overall, she found them all informative and insightful. One workshop was called “Trauma and Restorative Justice” and examined how trauma and RJ need to be looked at together. For healing, the trauma and cycle of violence need to be spotlighted in the RJ process. Eleanor also saw the Reena Virk movie, which premiered at the conference. The emotional movie warned how violence can happen at just the drop of a hat. Eleanor also described other workshops including: Signs of Bullying, and Transforming Negative Labels into Positive Ones. The latter workshop was run by a woman from Los Angeles, who Eleanor hopes to contact to hold a workshop on the reserve.

 Etta also shared her experiences at the conference, explaining that little policy discussion occurred over the weekend. While three geographic regions of British Columbia gathered at the conference, the only policy discussion concerned how to create a vision exercise amongst the regions, asking: where are we going? Etta said that Brenda Morrison from Simon Fraser University has funding to do a project on RJ practices in British Columbia schools, which would help answer the vision exercise. The Sunshine Coast RJ members will likely come to the Vancouver Island RJ meetings. Etta encouraged that this year should be a year of brainstorming with other RJ initiatives in British Columbia. Allison MacPhail, head of the Criminal Justice Reform Secretariat, is a good person to contact in government, as she is extremely supportive of restorative justice in British Columbia. Etta specified that the regional meeting for RJ on Vancouver Island will be in Nanaimo on June 22. Anyone can come; however, only program representatives will be eligible to vote.

 6.     Reports from RJ Programs:  

 RJ Victoria: Geanine explained that the Belfry Theatre Event was a sold-out success. The play was called “Pathways to Justice.” The play looked at a case going through the court system and then the same case going through a restorative justice process. The play also showed the expensive costs for the conventional process versus the restorative justice process. The feedback from the audience was extremely positive. The following Monday the play went to the RJ Conference in Vancouver. In creating the play, participants worked and dialogued with the Victoria Police and Katy Hutchinson. Times Colonist journalist Katy DeRossa attended the play and is continuing to write-up the restorative justice feature, which will be published later in the newspaper.

 Regarding funding, $8,500 was given to RJ Victoria by the City of Esquimalt. Esquimalt board member Rick Anthony was imperative in receiving this funding. Funding was turned down by both Rotary Clubs. Geanine commented that letters to the Solicitor General will hopefully bring more funding.

 Coalition First Nations Program: Sue announced that the Symposium will be held in September, not November, as September is a more outdoor-friendly month than November. The theme for the event: How can a releasee be given a more restorative re-integration? Pioneer Services from Seattle, an organization which helps to find jobs for releasees, will be attending. Two or three inmates will be attending and talking about their experiences of re-integration. Anyone interested in helping with the Symposium should call Sue over the summer. Sue’s phone number is (250) 652-2903.

 Peninsula Crossroads: Etta revealed that the organization is going through key staff changes, including change-overs with the chair, the treasurer, and the secretary. Pam will be replaced by Colin Hood, to take referrals from the RCMP. The 10^th Anniversary for Peninsula Crossroads will be during November.

 Department of Peace: (Reported by Penny Joy via email, read by Geanine at the meeting)

On May 20, there was a meeting of the Victoria DOP group, small but dedicated! There was a wide-ranging discussion on the future of the Victoria Chapter: the need to strengthen the group and form coalitions was discussed and the possibility of connecting to the conference the Dalai Lama is attending in Vancouver in September. The Dalai Lama has expressed support for Departments of Peace. There are now 10 DOP chapters across Canada located in most major cities.

 A report was made of the DOPI AGM which was held in Hamilton April 17-19 and included a presentation by Linda McQuaig, entitled: After Afghanistan: Reinvigorating Canada’s Role as a Global Peacebuilder.  She spoke of a rising militarism and the growing military-industrial complex in Canada and saw a department of peace as an antidote, stating that war is obsolete. She was introduced by Borys Wresnewskyj, Liberal MP, a staunch supporter of the CDPI.

 The 2008-9 Activity Report was given by Bill Bhaneja, outgoing Pan Canadian Co-chair and brief reports on a Civilian Peace Service, on Women Building Peace, on a Youth Peace Camp, on Cities for Peace, and on Nuclear Disarmament, followed by a panel of Bill Siksay MP (NDP), Jim Karygiannis MP (Liberal), and Steven LaFrenie (Green Party candidate) on how we can work together for a culture of peace. Each stressed the importance of a non-partisan approach among the political parties.

 There are now more than 35 countries who are working towards DOP’s in their countries. They will be represented at the 4^th Summit for the Global Alliance for Departments and Ministries of Peace, in Costa Rica in September. I am presenting on Restorative Justice at that time.

 The most important aspect of the ongoing work is that an increasing number of politicians are supporting the initiative and MP Bill Siksay (NDP Burnaby/Kingsway riding) has prepared a private members bill which will be tabled in parliament before the end of the current session. One of the principle parts of the bill promotes Restorative Justice practices.

 7.     Infonet Programs for 2009 to 2010:

 For September or October, Allison MacPhail was suggested as the guest speaker. Allison MacPhail is head of the Criminal Justice Reform Secretariat. Her recommended topic would be: what is the future of restorative justice in BC? Doreen will write Allison an email asking for attendance. For September or October, depending on Allison MacPhail’s availability, Saul was suggested as the next speaker, to speak on creating and promoting a healthy and safe community.

 The meeting was adjourned by Doreen Hunter. The next Infonet meeting will be held September 9^th, 2009, in the Community Room at the Victoria Police Department from 1 to 3 PM.