CBABC applauds the provincial government’s recent announcement of $3 million in funding towards advancing restorative justice and hopes to see sustainable funding in the future.
The government will work with the Law Foundation of BC to develop a plan to distribute this funding.
Restorative justice offers an expanded set of tools to complement the traditional justice system. By involving the person harmed, the offender, and their communities, the approach seeks to address both the victim’s needs, and the underlying causes of the act.
CBABC has long called for increased access to restorative justice services across the province, including Indigenous communities. Indigenous peoples are overrepresented in the criminal justice system, both as people convicted of crimes and as people harmed by crime.
We continue to advocate for sustained funding to restorative justice associations and societies to enable wider services and increase access to justice, as well as funding for restorative justice-related education, as seen in our submissions, On Matters of Indigenous Justice in BC and Agenda for Justice 2021.