Funding continues to be a source of concern for the Community Justice Program of the Sunshine Coast (CJP).
At the Nov. 1 Sunshine Coast Policing Committee meeting, Bill Prowse, chair of the program, highlighted the need for core funding for the service.
Prowse said the program is a method used to resolve incidents between individuals where one person or group has been wronged by another. It can take the place of court proceedings provided both parties agree to be part of the resolution process. Trained facilitators bring the parties together, a resolution is agreed to, and then CJP follows up to ensure the agreement is carried out.
During the past year, the program received 58 referrals, each representing one offender, from agencies such as the RCMP, School District No. 46 and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). The DFO matter concerned habitat degradation.
Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) Area F director Lee Turnbull expressed astonishment that the CJP is not core funded. She questioned how many of the schools on the Coast are represented in the program.
School trustee Greg Russell said CJP was a highly recommended option for the school district. All of the schools are involved to some extent, with the high schools more so. Greater emphasis should be given younger children to prevent problems once they're in secondary schools.
"If the crime is involved and the RCMP felt that restorative justice would be fruitful, then the case is referred," he said.
Sechelt Mayor Darren Inkster remarked that the province should be funding the program.
"We [the District of Sechelt] fund [CJP] and I would encourage other governments to do so too. We use traffic fine money to fund restorative justice. There should be more participation. We need to belly up to the bar and make sure this program continues," Inkster stated.
At present, two part-time people are employed by the program, a co-ordinator and a school co-ordinator. Restorative justice relies heavily on volunteers. Prowse said that group is in some ways a victim of its own past volunteerism. By doing as much as they have on a shoestring budget, there has been no need for the province to step up with funding aside from the small amount of gaming money CJP sees.
Russell will have the school board send a letter to the provincial Ministry of Education asking for support.
