Chilliwack Restorative Justice & Youth Advocacy Association

AUCTION CLOSED! Thanks to all who participated! **FINAL WEEKLY BIKE AUCTION!!** DETAILS:... Each Monday, a new lot of 10-15 bikes will be posted. Bidding is open as soon as they are posted, and will close the following Thursday, at 9:00pm. The winners will be direct messaged with more details. The following Monday, pickup will be from 4-6pm at the RCMP detachment (45924 Airport rd). PAYMENT: Payment must be received by the Saturday before pickup. E-transfer is preferred, using the email [email protected], and the answer 'bike'. Otherwise, you can pay through PayPal on our website at: https://www.restoringjustice.ca/donate-today. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to message us! Since this is our last lot, and we would love to sell them all, there are NO MINIMUM BIDS! Have fun!

Coming up in a few weeks!

Thanks to the Chilliwack Progress for helping us get word out! All funds raised go back to our programs. We do two types of programs: preventative through our local schools, and our restorative where we bring victims and offenders together. #DidYouKnow victims who choose #RJ have lower rates of PTSD than those who go through traditional court? And offenders who go through systems like ours have lower rates of reoffense? We can't do it without public support, so if you see a bike you like, please bid!

We'd like to give a huge THANK YOU to the Royal Hotel Chilliwack for providing us a safe spot to do our facilitations! Keeping our clients and volunteers safe is extremely important to us, so we appreciate the help from our community partners.

What are the differences between guilt and shame? And how could it help our clients to have a better understanding of those differences? We thought it could be ...useful for you to have a side-by-side comparison of these powerful emotions that you could share with your clients. Because understanding these differences could help our clients begin to dismantle their negative self-judgments.

..."cases involving less serious crimes are either being dropped outright or shunted into restorative justice programs." While "shunted" probably isnt the best word, #RJ is an excellent avenue for lower-level crimes and certainly would help relieve the strain on the court systems in Canada. RJ leads to lower recidivism rates (especially in adults), has higher satisfaction rates for victims, and helps re-foster community engagement. And, in some cases, can even involve re...stitution, eliminating the need for the civil court involvement. We agree that so-called petty crime does impact people and businesses. We feel these crimes should not be swept under the rug (or dropped off the radar, to quote the article), but that sometimes the traditional courts system is not the best way to deal with them. Restorative justice organizations across Canada are ready and able to deal with these scenarios; it should not be looked at as a lesser alternative. The Jordan decision underscores the need for restorative justice. This is an issue that will require partnership, and we sincerely hope that Crown Counsel and law enforcement across British Columbia will take the helping hand that restorative justice is offering. #fridayfeelings

Our talk with Linda and Janet from Why me? Victims for restorative justice is now up on YouTube! We discuss domestic violence and how restorative justice can help victims regain their sense of control.

In looking to improve their backlogs and give victims a voice in their cases, YourAlberta (Government of Alberta) is expanding access to restorative justice. This would even include, in certain cases, domestic violence and cases with power disparities. This approach would work in so many different areas. Restorative justice is vastly underutilized throughout the justice system and would solve a great deal of the issues the courts are facing.

Its not a secret that poverty and crime are closely related. The John Howard Society of Ontario noted that those who live at or below the Low Income Cut-Off measure (LICO) spend most of their income on need-based expenses such as rent or food. Children who grow up in these at-risk categories have a much higher chance of spending their adulthood in poverty as well. The study done by Joel Robertson-Taylor for the City of Chilliwack in 2018 noted that Chilliwack has a higher ...youth poverty rate than the BC average. So what does this mean for crime statistics? An interesting study done by Mary Allen for Statistics Canada released this month showed that youth who participated in restorative justice had much higher rates of being from these at-risk categories than their counterparts. These struggles continued even after their restorative justice processes. While the study says that further research would be needed in order to determine what keeps some from returning to crime, some suggestions could be made. 1. Low-level crimes, whether committed by adults or minors, should have a shot at RJ. Most adult offenders have youth records, quite possibly because the disadvantages that began in their youth followed them into adulthood as studies have repeatedly noted. RJ also helps balance the scales between those who would be able to afford lawyers and take time off of work for court versus those who would not. This is important as those with lower incomes are more likely to be detained and plead guilty than those more economically privileged. 2. There needs to be a strong partnership between government and nonprofits/charities. We repeat what we do not repair. We have cases of people shoplifting food because they have to choose between food and rent. A criminal record would further marginalize them, so we prevent that. But can we prevent a recurrence? We cant, but we can partner with those who can. Also, the more cases we have referred to us, the more we can report on statistics. Nova Scotias Restorative Justice program uses their case referrals to help the government and other nonprofits focus their efforts on certain segments of the population or even a certain geographical area to prevent whats causing crime in the first place. Lowering the crime rate is about more than reactive measures. Proactive measures within a community, supported by its government, can do more to stop crime without further harming those who may be simply in need of help.

And a #signalboost for our friends in Victoria! Know anyone with a background in counselling, #rj, or social work looking for temporary work? Encourage them to apply!

Due to concerns about distancing and low registration numbers, we have reluctantly decided to cancel our July 18th auction. Please stay tuned here for future updates!

UPDATE, JULY 8th: Due to concerns about keeping our volunteers, staff, and attendees safe, we have elected to postpone our auction. "Like" our page so you can receive further updates on rescheduling! ITS HERE! Preregistration IS required to ensure we can operate under health guidelines. When you register, please indicate which time you would prefer and one person per registration, please. Bikes will be divided ahead of time, so there will be excellent selection of all types at both.

Theres been a lot of talk about what the "new normal" might look like. One thing has become very clear: people need meaningful connection. Restorative principles extend far beyond the justice system, and need to be worked into how we move forward.

We had a fascinating talk with our Nova Scotia counterparts this week, and this is just part of how theyre using RJ extensively and effectively. Their work helps inform public policy, helping eliminate the cause of crime in the first place. This reduces crime rates both in terms of recidivism and first-time offenses. The RJ Lab is yet another way to explore how to transform the current justice system for the better. Its time that everyone looks at what justice means to them.

We are looking to do our auction mid to late July. Would you prefer an online or in person auction?We are looking to do our auction mid to late July. Would you prefer an online or in person auction?

We are working out how to do our spring bike auction and keep everyone safe. Updates will be here when we get a plan in place!We are working out how to do our spring bike auction and keep everyone safe. Updates will be here when we get a plan in place!

CW: sexual assault Our interview with Marlee Liss is now live on YouTube! Marlee is the co-founder and Executive Director of Re-Humanize Movement, and they work with survivors to seek personal, meaningful justice. Re-Humanize

We had a conversation with Dr. Martha Brown from RJAE Consulting about implementation of RJ in schools! This is the first in a series of interviews about how #restorativejustice can work in different areas.

Please see the press release from Mayor Popove below. Here at Chilliwack RJ, we are postponing a good deal of our operations currently and our staff are working from home. Well continue to monitor the situation and will update accordingly. Be safe, take care of yourselves, and each other.

Interesting article from the States regarding changes in attitudes from the prosecutorial services of Virginia.

Excellent work on the part of Manitoba Government for listening to the voice of the people for increasing #restorativejustice funding.

Have you heard Saul Alinksys river story? A group of people are down on a riverbank when someone spots a child in the river. They jump in the river, pull the child to safety, and breathe a sigh of relief. Tragedy has been averted. Then, they spot the next child flailing in the river. And another. And another. Someone breaks away from the group and begins to run upriver when a harried rescuer yells after them, "Hey! Where are you going? Cant you see how busy we are here...?" "Yes, but Im going to see who it is who keeps throwing all these kids in the river!" The person going upstream is repairing to avoid repeat. Sometimes we tend to get bogged down in the work and not focus on what it is thats causing us to be so busy. Effort does not always equal effectiveness! This is why we are putting a special emphasis on working with other groups in our communities. If someone is shoplifting food because they dont have money to buy it, our processes alone cannot repair it because we have done nothing to help prevent a repeat. Our work relies on so much more than the efforts of our staff and volunteers, and we cannot do it alone.

Promising news out of the UK regarding alternatives to the traditional court systems.

The Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime has put out new literature for the victims and survivors of crime highlighting their rights within the justice system from start to finish. Check out the information below!

When people talk about #RestorativeJustice, it tends to be about the offenders. Cases are normally received from law enforcement, the agreement is normally theirs to carry out, and they have the benefit of not receiving a criminal record. However, a good RJ program should be victim-focused. This article by Kim Elsesser focuses on the importance of a victims voice in the implementation of their own justice, especially as it relates to sexual violence. This isnt a new idea.... The British Journal of Criminology suggested that due to the victimizing nature of criminal trials that restorative practices be attempted, with a strong likelihood of better outcomes. And here in Canada, the Sexual Misconduct Response Centre and Integrated Conflict and Complaint Management Program are currently hiring up to 20 senior restorative practitioners to facilitate communication about the harm done to the litigants in the class action suit against the Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence. Of course, this course of action is not applicable to every situation. The chief concern should be about doing no further harm to the victims, and that must be carefully considered before going forward with a restorative justice case. The United Kingdom is doing great work in this regard, and has information for victims considering RJ here: https://restorativejustice.org.uk/restorative-justice-and-s

Hey, Lights On Fund! Its not often #nonprofits have funders who really get the funding struggle, but you sure do! Thank you so much for supporting our programs here in the Upper Fraser Valley.

AGM TONIGHT! Meeting begins at 7:00 SureStay HotelAGM TONIGHT! Meeting begins at 7:00 SureStay Hotel

Heidi Illingworth makes a very good point about #RJ being good for victims, and that it is a very underutilized process. Thank you Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime for urging the federal government to do more with these programs.

Our volunteer Sheila just received their TD Volunteer Grant for Chilliwack Restorative Justice And Youth Advocacy Association. Every year, when she volunteers 40 hours or more, TD recognizes her efforts by sending a gift of $500 to the charity she works with! #TheReadyCommitment Thank you TD for giving where you live!

All true! RJ is a wonderful resource that is not utilized as often as it should be.

Less than a month away! Please note the new location of McCammon Elementary. As always, we can accept cash and credit cards. Hope to see you there!