Criminal Justice Reform

British Columbians want communities that are safe and free of crime. Unfortunately, crime does exist in our communities and it affects everyone in one way or another. The problem of crime is complex, as are the solutions.

The social costs of crime are high. Victims and their families suffer financially, emotionally and sometimes physically. Business owners have to deal with financial losses. Homeowners install security systems to protect their property. Parents struggle to find help for drug-addicted family members who have turned to crime to support their habits. And people not directly affected by crime see evidence of it in their neighbourhoods and communities – police making arrests; open drug deals; graffiti; alcohol related crime; and more.

Crime also places great demands on all parts of the criminal justice system – the police, courts, judges, corrections and others. Increasingly, the people committing crime are also coping with multiple issues, things that may be driving their criminal behaviour – addiction, mental illness, homelessness or a lack of job skills.

People working in the criminal justice system and in the health and social services areas here in B.C. and elsewhere recognize that greater coordination and collaboration is needed across the various sectors to deal with crime. Agencies are working together to find new ways to prevent and reduce crime, and to make the criminal justice system work more effectively. Ways to find early solutions and faster justice.

For these reasons, the Criminal Justice Reform Secretariat was formed by the B.C. Government in early 2007 to lead the development of integrated and collaborative approaches to deal with crime. What you will find on this website is information about some of the innovative justice reform projects currently underway. These projects are based on evidence of what has been shown to work in other parts of the province, country or world.

Is there anything that individuals or community organizations can do to help drive crime down? Evidence shows that the solutions to prevent and reduce crime are often found in the community, where people know the issues and the resources available locally to help address them. The Community Crime Prevention Guide on this website is available to help communities develop an action plan to drive down crime.

More criminal justice reform projects are being developed, and we encourage you to visit this site regularly for updates.

Message from the Ministers

British Columbia has one of the best criminal justice systems in the world. Our judges, courts, police, corrections and legal profession work very hard to make sure justice is served, that victims receive the supports they need, and that offenders make reparation to victims and society for their criminal behaviour.
Read the full text of the Ministers' Message