Jo Phillips joins Rural Red Deer Restorative Justice Program

“What I’ve noticed the most is that there aren’t bad kids, just kids having bad experiences. I’ve done a lot of work in schools, but the gaps I’ve seen include the inability for adults to help kids resolve the conflicts they’re having,” she says.

“As well, I see the value in the person who’s been harmed being able to speak to the people who did the harm, rather than it turning into criminal charges or escalating in another way. That’s when kids, if they’re involved, become the victims themselves.”

The agency does work with all ages, though it originally had a focus on youth.

It is a grassroots organization started by individuals who observed gaps and knew they had the capability to fill them, says Phillips, who has a BA in Psychology from the University of Calgary

“Most referrals for our program come in from the RCMP, and some come from schools. We also work with Crown Prosecutors,” she says.

“Essentially, the benefit of restorative justice is that it’s more focused on the people who’ve been harmed. It can occur pre-charges or post-conviction, and at the core of it is that the person harmed has the chance to share how they were harmed with the person responsible.”

In any case, she clarifies, consent is required from all parties.

Partners with the group include the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre, RCMP, schools in Blackfalds and Lacombe, and the Central Alberta Community Legal Clinic.

At this time, staff are doing a lot of data gathering in order to show the long-term benefits of restorative justice.

It’s also launched a program at St. Gregory school in Blackfalds where restorative justice can be done on a micro scale with kids who end up in the office for a myriad of reasons. That program is planned to launch at Iron Ridge Junior in the near future.

“Sometimes people who’ve been harmed really just want to be heard,” says Phillips. “My opinion is that punishment often doesn’t really lead to anything. It has to be more about learning from it. Whenever something happens and we don’t learn, the chance of it being repeated is high.”

Phillips says if we can get people talking to each other and participating in restoration, it could keep cases out of the over-burdened court system.

To learn more about the Rural Red Deer Restorative Justice Program, visit its website.

by Josh Hall | @Vancan19

Jo Phillips joins Rural Red Deer Restorative Justice Program

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