Lyonel Doherty, Times Chronicle
You rarely hear about it, but the regional Restorative Justice program has had an impact on many people, including Oliver firefighters.
That was clearly outlined by Fire Chief Bob Graham at last week’s Community Safety and Crime Prevention meeting in council chambers.
Graham said the fire department worked with Restorative Justice last year after a fire was set above the town in the hills near the cell tower. He noted that a couple of “young guys” who set the fire were subsequently apprehended.
Their restorative punishment involved doing maintenance work (cutting grass) at the fire hall.
“We felt it was a good opportunity for them to take responsibility for what they had done,” Graham said.
Oliver RCMP Sgt. Don Wrigglesworth said not only did the youth admit their wrongdoing, the parents were 100 per cent behind the punishment, “which is not always the case.”
Restorative Justice coordinator Alexis Hovenkamp said the program is only designed for low-risk offenders and non-serious crimes, with the idea of keeping these cases out of the criminal justice system.
For example, if a youth commits vandalism or graffiti at school, that student would sit down with staff and the parents to discuss the wrongdoing and its effects. Then the group would agree on the consequences, such as paying to cover up the graffiti or doing it themselves.
Another candidate for Restorative Justice could be a shoplifter, wherein the thief would sit down with the store owner and the police to discuss the incident and appropriate punishment.
“There’s a lot more hands on learning instead of just putting somebody on probation or putting them in jail,” Hovenkamp said.
She noted they are currently recruiting volunteers. Call 250-490-2372 or email [email protected].
