Community-Based Justice Programs - Manitoba

Community Holistic Circle Healing Program

Recipient: Hollow Water First Nation

The Hollow Water Community Holistic Circle Healing Program is designed to prevent, intervene in and heal the intergenerational effects of sexual abuse and domestic violence. The Program delivers diversion and alternative measures, community sentencing and healing circles that are culturally appropriate and reflect the needs of individual victims, offenders, family members, and the community. The Program offers counselling to victims, offenders and their extended families, and provides support groups, oversight of court-ordered assessments, and traditional healing therapy, such as wilderness programs.

Community Justice Program

Recipient: Sioux Valley Dakota Nation

The Sioux Valley Dakota Nation Community Justice Program will empower community members to assume a greater responsibility for justice issues and resolution of community disputes by providing a holistic program based on the philosophy of Dakota values, culture and traditions. The Program aims to educate the community about the Canadian justice system and identify community-based activities that will support and rebuild the offender's connection to community resources and reduce the risk factors for recidivism. A justice committee will be created and community members will be trained to participate in diversion and alternative measures, community sentencing, mediation, and court and community justice programs.

MKO First Nations Justice Strategy Program

Recipient: Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc.

The MKO First Nations Justice Strategy operates pre- and post-charge diversion programs in 16 First Nation communities in northern Manitoba. The Program's mandate is to implement changes to the way that justice is administered in First Nations communities, in a manner that is culturally appropriate, through the continued management of a magistrate's court. This also includes diversion to community justice committees supported by community justice workers.

The Program's goals are to utilize restorative rather then retributive justice, shifting the focus from the offender to the community. The system uses healing, teaching, support and culturally appropriate restoration of the offender to the community, including the victim.

Mee-noo-stah-tan Mi-ni-si-win First Nations Family Justice Program

Recipient: Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba

The objective of the Mee-noo-stah-tan Mi-ni-si-win First Nations Family Justice Program is to deliver culturally specific family mediation to address the needs of children at risk of entering the Child and Family Services system, as well as the needs of those children already in the system.

The Program provides an alternative system to the mainstream social services and justice system for several communities in northern Manitoba. The Program accomplishes its objective through a community-based conflict-resolution process using family mediators, who bring together family, community members, Elders, and community service providers.

Onashowewin Justice Program

Recipient: Onashowewin Inc.

The objective of the Onashowewin Justice Program is to help restore, heal and transform relationships between offenders, victims and the community. The Program provides post-charge diversion and restorative justice programming to Aboriginal youths and adults in Winnipeg. The Program also offers mediation between victims and offenders, community justice forums, conciliation, and offender-specific programs.

Tribal Court System Program

Recipient: St. Theresa Point First Nation

The Tribal Court System Program is a community-based diversion program providing restorative justice alternatives in the community of St. Theresa Point. The Program provides a forum for the education, disposition and reconciliation of the accused person within a community that emphasizes traditional Aboriginal customs, beliefs and methods.