The province is celebrating Restorative Justice Week, (RJW) which this year runs Nov. 17 to 23, according to a government news release.
Restorative Justice is an alternative to the criminal justice system’s traditional forms of punishment and deterrence — such as prison — and is largely associated with the sentencing of Indigenous offenders.
Manitoba has one of the largest Indigenous populations in Canada. As of 2021, Indigenous people accounted for around 18 per cent of the province’s total population — and that group continues to be incarcerated at a much higher rate than non-Indigenous residents.
The news release speaks of the landmark Restorative Justice Act, introduced in 2015, and describes restorative justice as an out-of-court tool that “rehabilitates offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large.”
Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said his province “is a leader in Canada for restorative justice” and its support of “healing, accountability, repairing harm and preventing future harm,”
“This year’s theme is ‘Inspiring Collaboration: Igniting Social Change,’ which reflects our approach in supporting restorative justice programs and initiatives across Manitoba,” said Wiebe in a statement.
The release notes that Manitoba’s Indigenous Justice Program, co-funded with the federal government, provides financial support for 10 Indigenous justice programs and four restorative justice programs in the province.
Manitoba has taken a variety of other steps in changing how its justice system deals with Indigenous residents — and how to address the cultural gap existing between the two worlds.
Last week, the province’s government unveiled its Safer Neighbourhoods, Safer Downtowns Public Safety Strategy, which includes an increase in supports for First Nations police officers and “safety officer” programs. The development of the strategy also meant that government officials held consultations with First Nations governments and organizations.
In the summer of 2021, Manitoba’s government set up a special council of elders in a bid to address the over-representation of Indigenous people in the province’s justice system. The eight-member Indigenous Elders Advisory Council was described as a “grassroots, non-partisan group of community members that reflects the vast diversity in gender, language, nationhood and lived experience of Indigenous people in Manitoba.”
That same summer, the government announced it would be handing responsibility for its Indigenous court workers over to Indigenous-led organizations — a move that then-justice minister Cameron Friesen called “another step toward reconciliation.”
The job of an Indigenous court worker is to provide cultural-based support to Indigenous people navigating the court system.
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