Consultation Reports

INDEX
- Introduction
- Focus Groups
- Summary of Briefs Received
- Key Themes And Messages

Non-government organizations, also known as community agencies or non-profits, provide a variety of services and activities in the community and at various stages of the justice system. They are governed by voluntary boards of directors and make extensive use of volunteers to deliver programs. Some may also engage in public education activities or speak out on social policy issues that relate to developing safe communities.

Some non-government organizations (NGOs) provide services and programs to people directly involved in the criminal justice system, such as victims, witnesses or offenders. These services might include counselling and information for victims, victim offender mediation programs, assistance with obtaining pardons or supervision of offenders on release.

Other agencies provide services or support to parents, extended families, children or spouses involved in family law or divorce courts.

There are also some service providers that may have interest in or occasional contact with the justice system, such as educators, mental health professionals, social workers, child welfare workers and others. A great many NGOs work with people who come into contact with the justice system and, therefore, are peripherally connected with the system. More importantly, however, many NGOs see the effects of social and economic factors on people's lives. Community agencies are on the front lines, witnessing daily the impact of poverty, unemployment, substance abuse and violence. Community agencies know that these factors can be related to involvement in crime. All of the above types of NGOs were informed and consulted about the Summit.

Focus group consultation meetings were held across the province with a wide variety of NGOs. The list of participating NGOs is attached in Appendix A. Meetings were held as follows:

Edmonton August 19, 1998

Medicine Hat August 14, 1998

Red Deer August 27, 1998

Grande Prairie September 10, 1998

Calgary September 15, 1998

Lethbridge September 22, 1998

The goal of the meetings was to contribute to a strong and collective message from the NGO sector to the Summit on Justice. The central discussion theme of the meetings was crime prevention through social development, as this was a key message in the public hearing process and is something that a broad segment of NGOs are familiar with. The meetings were two-three hours in length and used the "cardstorming" model of discussion/input that will be used at the Summit.

Each participant was asked to consider the following:

Think about the work and goal of your agency and programs. Think about the people you work with, the people for whom your agency works to make a difference.

What can be done to make a difference in people's lives? (So that they feel part of community, build from their strengths, are supported in growth, have what they need to do more than just survive, ultimately never face the justice system.)

Individuals were asked to write their own answers and then they worked in groups of 3-5 to combine their lists and eliminate duplication. Everyone's responses were then combined and sorted into groups of natural relationships or ideas that spoke to similar types of action. This resulted in a series of six charts with everyone's input organized into broad categories or relationships that spoke to similar types of action. Each of these six charts is attached in Appendix B.

The following is a summary of the key theme areas that emerged in each of the six meetings, along with some of the specific actions that were suggested.

Education/Employment

- affordable/accessible childcare - employment training

- literacy - anger management

- flexible employment - life skills training

- increase access to higher education/adult education

- individualized school programs to meet needs (alternatives)

- conflict resolution/alternatives to violence

Early Intervention

- prenatal and post-birth care - stay in school programs

- parenting skills/education/support - school lunch programs

- family centres - mentoring/role model programs

- nutrition information and support - affordable and accessible, quality childcare

- services for learning disabled, fetal alcohol syndrome/affect, attention deficit disorder

- affordable and accessible preschool programs

- school-based counselling and support programs

Basic Needs/Safety Net

- improve income support programs - adequate and appropriate clothing

- in-home supports - increase minimum wage

- affordable, accessible housing/transition housing

- nutrition and health issues resolved (medication)

Belonging/Community Values

- community support networks - promote inclusion

- mentoring/modelling respect - challenge consumerism

- cultural opportunities - support and value family

- reduce exposure to violence - work with people where they're at

- change societal criteria for success - people need to contribute back to society

- acceptance (not labels)/positive regard/dignity

- expect responsible behaviour/personal morality

Recreation/Youth

- affordable recreation - drop-in centres

- corporate sponsorship of children's arts and sports opportunities

- youth involvement in community programs/activities

- programs sensitive to cultural needs

Access/Coordination

- partnerships/connections/coordination with other agencies and services

- access to information about services/awareness of choices

- access to quality legal representation

- coordination of government departments

- ombudsperson/advocate in the community

In spite of the fact that the meetings were held in geographically diverse communities across Alberta and involved a wide variety of NGOs, there was remarkable consistency in the feedback and messages delivered. Staff and volunteers from NGOs intrinsically understood the risk factors that increase likelihood of criminal involvement and could clearly see what needed to be done to alleviate the social and economic conditions related to crime.

Responses ranged from those that the government is directly responsible for, such as minimum wage and income support to those that the community is responsible for, such as modelling/mentoring programs, drop-in centres and flexible employment. At the same time, the responses included some that were more abstract and intangible, such as inclusion, belonging, values and respect.

Participants felt that the NGO sector focus on crime prevention fit well with the community initiatives and involvement that were started with the regionalisation of Children's Services. NGO representatives from these communities understand crime prevention through social development and appreciated another opportunity to encourage the province of Alberta to partner with them in taking action on addressing the social and economic factors linked to crime.

Briefs were received from 8 sources. The main points from each brief are detailed below. The complete set of briefs is found in Appendix C.

Hope Centre Christian Counselling

Schools, hospitals, police, government and private treatment facilities and social service agencies need to work more closely and effectively together.

Lethbridge John Howard Society

Media is a flawed source of crime and justice information.

Recommend the establishment of a public office, or a not-for-profit agency, detached from government, that has access to information, including government information and statistics, with the responsibility for providing accurate information about crime and the justice system to public and media, with the capability and budget to provide such accurate information on a broad and open basis without interference and to correct inaccuracies as they occur, such agency to have the means of public access through technology and other means.

There is a need for crime prevention through social development (CPSD) as demonstrated by the fact that many people in jail suffer from a number/variety of social and economic disadvantages.

CPSD programs need to be community based, early intervention programs.

Recommend that crime prevention be clearly separated from the justice system or provided with a separate department from law enforcement, the courts and corrections, and be separately and adequately funded with an emphasis on social development, health and education as the primary foci of crime prevention; and that community involvement through agencies and citizens and partnerships with justice be recognized as the means to implement crime prevention at the community level.

The Alberta Quality of Life Commission

Concerned about the emphasis on revenge and punishment rather than rehabilitation of offenders.

A society can be measured by the way it treats its weakest and poorest citizens. We are a sick society if we do not find ways to rehabilitate people, especially our youth, when they get into trouble. The concepts of revenge and punishment without rehabilitation are not worthy of a system which uses the term "justice."

Imprisonment is not crime prevention; need to see offenders as valuable citizens with special needs, rather than incorrigible reprobates in order to provide the special programs which can help them become law abiding citizens.

Regarding youth crime, need to focus on prevention not punishment. Need more treatment and rehabilitative resources and more open custody opportunities to lessen the effects of incarceration on youth.

Legal Aid funding cuts (inability to afford representation), inability of impoverished defendants to raise bail and delays in court dates (so longer pre-trial detention served for those unable to raise bail) all reduce access to justice for the poor.

Probation caseloads are too high for appropriate levels of supervision and support of offenders.

Need specialized services/alternatives/programs for First Nations and Metis youth.

Need a new law to hold companies accountable for unsafe operations that result in employees being injured or killed.

The role of the Supreme Court of Canada is to protect the rights of minorities when legislators have failed to do so.

John Howard Society of Alberta

Need to replace traditional law and order approaches to crime with concentrated efforts on crime prevention and alternatives to current sanctioning methods, using programs based on restorative justice principles.

Restorative justice model involves the offender, the victim and the community in negotiation and dialogue aimed at restitution, reconciliation and restoration of harmony.

Research shows that the public relies heavily on the media for their information about crime and justice, which has led to heightened fear and misinformation.

The public needs access to accurate information about the criminal justice system, about how best to resolve conflicts and how crime can be prevented.

Crime prevention through social development (CPSD) is the most effective method of crime prevention. It uses targeted, long term programs aimed specifically at alleviating the combination of social and economic problems that can increase the risk of criminal behaviour.

Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre

Reducing Barriers to Accessing Justice - Mentally Disabled Persons:

The Centre previously published Representing Mentally Disabled Persons in the Criminal Justice System - A Guide for Practitioners. This document included recommendations on how better to meet the needs of mentally disabled persons at all stages of the system. Most of the recommendations, however, also apply to the general population, with the exception of those that specifically refer to the mentally disabled.

Included recommendations in the following areas:

education of professional and support services - 8 recommendations

diversion - 12 recommendations

solicitor and client issues - 2 recommendations

confessions and statements - 3 recommendations

fitness to stand trial and appeals - 6 recommendations

experts - 8 recommendations

prisons and jails - 11 recommendations

Policing: Citizen Complaints:

The citizen complaint procedure is the means of protecting the citizen from the abuse of police powers and as a means of providing aggrieved citizens with redress.

Changes need to be made to ensure greater impartiality of the citizen complaint procedure. Three recommendations were made that suggest new, independent agencies to accept/address citizen complaints, their structure and processes and reporting obligations.

Alternatives to Existing Justice System Processes:

Access to Legal Advice - need research into new approaches for increasing access to legal advice by people who need legal representation yet can't afford it.

Domestic Violence - initiate a project that coordinates the justice system's response to domestic violence.

Calgary John Howard Society

Need to establish common vision, goals and philosophy that the entire system embraces and works toward.

The public needs balanced information and education about the system to be confident in it.

After crime has been committed, we need direct consequences, education or treatment that enhances an individual's ability to cope, supervision and support in the community, a greater focus on youth at risk.

Need to adopt a restorative philosophy in our response to crime. Community relationships should be restored, the offender reintegrated and the harm minimized. Programs in this area include Youth Justice Committees, Sentencing Circles, Family Group or Community Conferencing and Victim Offender Mediation Programs.

Alberta Justice should take the money it saves through its lower incarceration costs and invest it in long term prevention programs.

Medicine Hat John Howard Society

Medicine Hat John Howard Society surveyed local residents on what, if anything, is wrong with the criminal justice system and what can be done to effectively address those issues. The results indicated the following:

many people acquire information primarily through the media

many respondents acknowledged that there are a myriad of factors that may predispose certain individuals to being at risk; however, the retributive nature of the system does not effectively address such factors

many of the respondents indicated that early intervention is vital and cost effective to prevent crime in the first place

respondents noted that the system is not adequately providing redress to the victim or addressing the needs of the offender

There is a need to educate the citizens about the law and the criminal justice system in language they can understand, and offer access to such opportunities. Through this process, people gain the information they need to make informed and effective decisions regarding the criminal justice system and their role and responsibilities in that system. When people have accurate information and are informed about this system, their understanding of and confidence in this system will be enhanced.

The Medicine Hat John Howard Society supports the development and continuance of existing social development initiatives which can address the needs of young people in a timely and appropriate manner, which may serve to avert larger issues or problems at a later time.

The Medicine Hat John Howard Society supports crime prevention through social development and supports those initiatives that work toward promoting progressive, peaceful, safe and just communities.

Recommend meaningful alternatives to the current justice system that aim to hold the individual accountable and support them in making amends.

Grande Prairie John Howard Society

Alternative measures programs address community concerns and allow the community to play an active role in rehabilitating offenders and addressing victim needs.

Community organizations like the John Howard Society continue to provide invaluable services to victims, offenders and play key roles in restoring harmony in the community.

The John Howard Society recognizes the importance of educating the public as to the true nature and scope of criminal activity, as well as the causes and consequences of crime. Through alternative measures programs, the public become cognizant of the risk factors associated with crime as well as the reality of crime rates in their community.

Recommend that the government provide funding to community based organizations that have the infrastructure and experience to maintain alternative measures programs effectively over a long period:

Resources for a coordinator so that volunteers do not have to assume responsibility for the entire program.

Funding for public education campaigns to promote community awareness of and involvement in alternative measures.

As you read the summaries of the briefs outlined above, there are several common themes and messages to the submissions from the NGO sector. First, a great number of the briefs address the notion of crime prevention through social development. The social and economic risk factors associated with increased risk of criminal involvement were highlighted as a key component of creating and maintaining safe communities. The results from the focus groups illustrate the depth of understanding at the community level about what makes a difference in preventing crime.

A second key theme in the briefs was the need for accurate and balanced information to the public. Many organizations highlighted the fact that the media is the main source of people's information about crime and justice and how this has resulted in distorted information and perceptions.

The need for alternative approaches to justice and offender accountability was another common theme in the briefs. Restorative justice, alternative measures, victim-offender reconciliation, family group conferencing and rehabilitation were all mentioned as examples of alternative approaches that can be beneficial to offender, victim and community.

The final theme was about the need for increased fairness in the system. This theme included calls for appropriate treatment and rehabilitative programs so that people can change, access to legal information/advice, appropriate levels of supervision, awareness of and specialized services for mentally disabled persons and more effective citizen complaints procedures.