The Victoria Restorative Justice Society (VRJS) provides restorative processes for youth and adults who are residents of the City of Victoria or Esquimalt in the aftermath of crime and other harmful behaviour. We are victim-centred, offender-focused and community-driven. We address the community’s need for participation, accountability, results, healing and closure. Those who facilitate our processes are dedicated volunteers, most of whom are professionals in fields such as psychology, social work, counselling and mediation.
Our Mandate
Is firstly, to address crime and conflict in the community through restorative practices and, secondly, to engage in public education and outreach to ensure a broad base of support for, and participation in, community justice.
Our Mission
The purposes of the society are: (1) to develop and operate a restorative justice program for the benefit of the community; and (2) to educate the general public and raise community awareness about restorative justice.
Structure
VRJS operates under the guidance of a skilled and dedicated Board of Directors. We employ a P/T Program Coordinator and a P/T Program Assistant/Volunteer Coordinator and have 70 active volunteers. We have four committees headed by our board members – please go to our Committees page for more info.
Program Authority
VRJS is a registered non-profit society & charity with Canada Revenue Agency charity (BN # 828761940RR0001). We operate under Public Safety Solicitor General Community Accountability Program Guidelines (PSSG CAP) for police referrals. We have had Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with Victoria Police Department to accept referrals since 2005, with the Attorney General to accept Crown referrals since 2008, and with the University of Victoria Student Affairs Office to accept non-academic misconduct referrals since November 2011. In January 2010, we became a service contractor for ICBC, paid on a case by case basis.
We also accept community referrals on an informal basis. A growing number of individuals within the community are self-referring as they become familiar with restorative practices as a way to address conflict and harm. As part of developing this community and individual awareness, VRJS has developed an informal partnership with schools within School District #61 and the Healthy, Safe and Caring Schools Department.
Read our 2010 Annual Report.
See our 2011_Handout.
