‘New path for youth justice

_ Myke Clark
Contributing Writer
NORTH Vancouver is
. the latest community

to adopt a new focus in
dealing with young
_ offenders.

The new direction being

“3 taken is led by the recently

formed North Vancouver
‘Restorative Justice Society,
-which met on Nov. 25.

Whar the socicty plans ro
do, with a lot of aid trom the
community, is to help first-

time young offenders deal
with their crimes and commit
0.4 program that would help
hem break the cycle of crim-

* inal involvement.
¥ In’ other words, make sure
first-time offenders do not
“become second-time offend-

According to information
rovided - at the society’s
“meeting, the North
"Vancouver program is based
m’a very successtul program
rently running in Maple
Ridge.
idea is to divert select-
young offenders’ cases to a
mmittce that can assist

the.” victim and the ©

Crown
‘counsel as: a potential candi-
- date for the program.

LAF. the . young offender
grees to take part in the pro-
gram, there is a process that
n-takes place. The young
ffender and his or her par-
$ are contacted and invited

‘Oa committee meeting.
_.First. and foremost, the
nagers must accept respon-
sibility for their actions. The
‘committee, which is usually
made up of a group of three
“volunteers, then

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what action is appropriate to
keep the youth from. re-
offending.

This could include any-
thing from counselling and
group help to community
service or financial restitu-
tion, The victims could also
choose to be involved in this
process.

And that combination
makes the program successful
in Maple Ridge, said Lola
Chapman, coordinator of the
Ridge Meadows Youth and
Justice Advocacy Association.

“It has to allow the victim

to be heard and ro feel part of

the process. It involves the
whole community. It requires
the offender to rake personal
responsibility for their
action,” she said.

Chapman said the Maple
Ridge program has a success
rate of 94% to 95%.

Very few of the first-time
offenders re-offend.

NV RCMP Supt. Gil Yard
extols youth program.

The program in) North
Vancouver will only accept
first-time, non-violent
offenders that have been
referred by Crown counsel.

Therefore, they accept
kids they think they can truly
help.

Restorative justice, or

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diversion, is something that
loca! police fully support and
are looking forward to as
well.

“Hopefully we can urn
them around, get them on
the right track,” said RCMP
Supt. Gil Yard.

Getting help from the
community is a step in the
tight direction.

“It's not rocket science.
There really is only a commit-
ment and a feeling that there
is a better way,” Yard said.

The young offender, as

well as the committee, can.
opt out of the program at any

time if things are not going
according to plan.

At that point the file
would be turned back over to
Crown counsel to bring the
case in front of a judge.

If the young offender suc-
cesstully completes the pro-
gram all’ = records are
destroyed.

it

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Wednesday, December 3, 1997 - North Shore News — 23

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