The Community Justice Centre was one of eight restorative justice organizations in Canada that have been recognized by the annual Ron Wiebe Restorative Justice Award program.
The award is presented by the federal Ministry of Justice through the Correctional Service of Canada’s Restorative Justice Division.
CJC’s Chief Administrator, Bruce Curtis, accepted the award on behalf of the 150 volunteers who make the Community Justice Centre such an effective restorative justice programme in Canada.
“We couldn’t have been so successful without the incredible team of individuals who have a passion for restorative justice and work so diligently and professionally to achieve it,” he said. “It is a real honour to work with this group of committed residents, united in a common purpose.”
“The CJC has a very wide-ranging program that sees the restoration of relationships as key to a more compassionate community that can effectively address the harms that occur in any community,” he added.
“Our work in restorative justice extends well beyond cases involving young people shoplifting.”
The Centre was among those receiving the certificate of recognition during the 16th Annual Awards Dinner at their conference in Banff at the end of November.
“This has been an extraordinary year of acknowledgement for the Centre,” Charles Allen, retiring president of the Centre, said.
“This federal recognition of our volunteers’ restorative justice work adds to the awards previously received from the Provincial Minister of Justice, Suzanne Anton, the Minister for Multiculturalism, Teresa Wat, and Simon Fraser University’s recognition of our Chief Administrator.”
Allen went on to say “The Comox Valley has this amazing gem of an organization that quietly goes about its job week in and week out, professionally handling between 100 and 150 cases per year.
“Hopefully this outside acknowledgement will let the community see the Community Justice Centre as the terrific resource that it is.”