Aboriginal Communities

The Youth Justice Renewal Initiative opens the door for greater participation by Aboriginal communities in dealing with problems of youthful offending. The new legislation, which embraces restorative justice concepts that promote community healing and culturally relevant approaches to youth crime, acknowledges the traditional Aboriginal approach to justice.

Several Aboriginal organizations have received funding to assist them in informing and educating their communities about the Youth Justice Renewal Initiative. The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, the Manitoba Métis Federation, and the National Association of Friendship Centres have developed and distributed information on new youth justice legislation, and its implications and opportunities for Aboriginal peoples and communities.

Aboriginal Community Capacity Building

Funding is also available to help Aboriginal communities develop their capacity to participate in and/or deliver community-based youth justice options contained in the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). Projects funded to date include

• the development of training material (Regroupement des organismes de justice alternative du Québec and the Mnjikaning First Nation (Ontario));
• the creation or expansion of Community Justice Committees to more appropriately respond to youth crime and increase the capacity of the community in delivering alternative justice processes (Cowesses First Nation (Saskatchewan), Barrie Area Native Advisory Circle (Ontario), Ojibways of Onigaming First Nations (Ontario), and Shawanaga (Ontario), Moosomin First Nation (Saskatchewan)); and
• the development and adaptation of restorative approaches to provide short-term intensive and highly individualized services prior to and immediately following an offender's release from custody (Yorkton Tribal Council (Saskatchewan), and the Winnipeg Native Alliance).

In November 1999, the Department of Justice hosted an Aboriginal Information and Skills Exchange Forum in Winnipeg. The Forum provided Aboriginal community representatives with an opportunity to explore the roots of youth crime and to share experiences and expertise regarding effective youth justice programs in various Aboriginal communities across the country. Presentations were made on programs dealing with crime prevention, policing and front-end measures, custody and corrections, reintegration, community-based sentencing, and therapeutic healing.

As a follow-up to the Forum, the Department supported short-term training opportunities for Aboriginal people interested in learning more about the programs presented at the Forum in anticipation of establishing similar programs in their own communities.