“Restorative justice gave me my life back… getting answers to the questions I needed to ask… seeing the offender wasn’t the monster I’d imagined him to be, having him apologize and explain himself took away my fear of the unknown…and the whole process, the agreement he completed, were far from lenient.” -Affected party referred by VicPD
“With the utmost patience and professional attention the facilitators provided me with an outlet to let my motivations be known and get my side of the story out. By working with me rather than against me which may have been the case in the provincial judicial system I was able to avoid a serious black spot on my record and instead directly apologize to the offended, learn another side to the story, and reflect on my own detrimental behavior. I have learned a lot from the experience and am thankful for the help that the facilitators of the Victoria Restorative Justice Society have given me.” - Responsible party referred by VicPD
“I would like to see restorative justice in Victoria become one of the cornerstones of community policing. Restorative justice is a common sense approach to dealing with certain offenders who admit responsibility for their crimes and is a surefire way to hold them accountable for their actions while simultaneously addressing the needs of victims. Restorative justice saves money, it streamlines resources and consequences are experienced immediately.” -Chief Jamie Graham, Victoria Police Department
“I have been a big supporter of the restorative justice process… The impact of letting the victim address the offender, having the offender learn how their actions placed a mental, physical and financial burden on another human being is immeasurable. I have sat in a restorative justice circle and watched the face of the offender change as they realized how their actions also affected the community and how it stripped the safety and security felt by a neighborhood. The court systems may order fines and take away freedoms but it is not designed to empower the victim and replace the trust in humanity that the restorative justice process allows.” – Cst. Mark Buerfiend, Police Liaison Officer, Victoria Police Department
“A committed team who works with the community to build self-esteem, community connections and meaningful volunteer experiences, VRJS exhibits the leadership and resourcefulness required to accomplish their goals of developing a supportive community that embraces and supports youth.” -Tara Jaskowiak, former youth volunteer program coordinator at Volunteer Victoria
