Vancouver backs restorative justice without city funding

Vancouver city council endorsed a restorative justice framework last week — four years after voting to pursue the alternative justice model — but without ongoing city funding to make it work.

The framework, developed by Peace of the Circle and over 40 municipal, provincial and non-profit organizations, envisions restorative practices as a first response to conflict and harm across schools, housing, policing, neighborhoods and parks. The legal system continues operating "for those who choose or require it," the framework states.

Evelyn Zellerer, founder and director of Peace of the Circle, said the city's decision to cut funding this year signals a disconnect. "We will save money," Zellerer said. "The government is spending a tremendous amount of money right now on the legal system. We can be doing a lot more preventative work."

While most city departments had budgets cut or frozen this year, Vancouver Police Department received a 10 per cent increase — $46.2 million — bringing its total annual budget to just under half a billion dollars. The city passed a budget with no property tax increase.

Restorative justice, Zellerer explained, treats harm as a violation of people and relationships, not just a breach of law. In a peace circle, perpetrators, victims and their supporters sit with a trained facilitator to reach understanding and accountability, aiming to resolve harm and meet the needs of those directly involved.

"Crime hurts, so justice should heal," Zellerer said.

Norm Leech, a St'át'imc Nation member and executive director of Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House, said restorative justice is not new — it reflects how Indigenous communities historically resolved conflicts. "To me restorative justice is relearning how we used to resolve conflicts between ourselves, face to face," Leech said. "Before we somehow became afraid of having the conversation... of potential conflict, potential confrontation."