- Vancouver's Downtown Community Court
- Prolific Offender Management Project
- Bail Reform Project
- Community Crime Prevention Pilots
Vancouver's Downtown Community Court
Community Partners
The Downtown Community Court is about partnership and problem solving to reduce crime. Downtown Community Court collaborates with residents, community organizations and local businesses. The following programs and services contribute greatly to the Downtown Community Court and make it possible for the court both to assist offenders and serve the community.
The Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver is a community-based organization that assists women and youth involved in the criminal justice system. The society partners with community and government agencies to create programs and services that help build healthy and safe communities. Elizabeth Fry Society operates three programs at the Downtown Community Court. The volunteer program assists persons appearing in court by escorting them from the courtroom to see their probation officer, case manager, and intake officer for other community court programs. In the weekly women's counselling group, women discuss issues that may have contributed to their criminal behaviour. The monthly crime and consequences seminar is designed for those charged with a minor criminal offence and focuses on criminal behaviour and the impact of crime.
Watari Youth, Family and Community Services is a non-profit agency working with at-risk children, youth, families and communities in the Downtown Eastside and the Greater Vancouver/Richmond areas. The Watari “system negotiator” is part of the Vancouver’s Downtown Community Court’s mental health assessment and case planning team. The team assesses the mental health status of persons appearing in court who present with mental health problems, and, in consultation with partner community agencies, develops suitable case plans. The system negotiator provides offenders with personalized support to access community resources, such as housing, health, education, employment, addiction, financial and legal services. The system negotiator position is funded by the Law Foundation of British Columbia.
The City of Vancouver’s Great Beginnings Program, funds one of two corrections’ community service positions. Community service is non-profit/volunteer work assigned to offenders. Community service hours are ordered by the court as a condition of offenders’ sentences. The overarching goal of community service is for the offender to make amends to the community for the harm caused while committing an offence. Community service is an opportunity for the offender to accept responsibility for his/her actions and learn the value of making a positive contribution to their neighbourhood. It also provides offenders with the chance to learn pro-social skills and behaviours. Some examples of community service performed are maintaining the Carrall Street Greenway, watering hanging baskets along the Hastings Street corridor, and cleaning the lanes and roadways throughout the Downtown Eastside.
The Cambie Malone’s Group of restaurants has supported the court since it opened in 2008. Cambie Malone’s donates bagged lunches twice weekly for offenders doing community service. The lunches encourage participation and make it possible for offenders to complete court orders.
The Insurance Corporation of BC provided funds for the court to contract H.A.V.E. Cafe to make lunches for offenders enrolled in social, health and mental health programs at the community court, and for those completing community service. Providing lunch helps offenders prepare and participate fully in the programs and community service.
Bean Around The World Coffee, Powell Street location donates coffee and baked goods once a month for clients of community court’s case management team. This provides clients with an additional incentive to meet with their worker and helps community court build relationships with clients and the community as a whole.
Telus has donated over 500 “comfort kits” for community court clients attending onsite programming. These kits include soap, shampoo, a comb, deodorant, toothpaste, a toothbrush and socks.
Corporate donations from Home Depot, COSTCO and DanDPAK have been received for supplies and food for community court programs. Home Depot also donated a barbeque to Downtown Community Court for use at community events.
