Aboriginal Justice Program

The MCPEI Aboriginal Justice Program works to create anenvironment that allows Aboriginal people to self-administer justice by building a traditional justice system based on holistic community values

The program focuses on the process of helping offenders, victims, and community get to the bottom of why the crime happened. All parties have a chance to speak about the crime, the offender, and their effects on the victim and community. They then concentrate on what can be done to restore the balance that was disturbed by the criminal act or acts. The program focuses on the needs of the individual and not so much on the offense.

The aim of Aboriginal Justice Program is to avoid the use of incarceration that removes community members to distant jails. The program seeks to involve the community in creating dispositions for the offender that satisfy the victim and the community. The outcome is to find a healing plan that does not in itself create the conditions for client failure. The participants in justice circles focus on conditions that are doable. And that includes ensuring that the proper resources are in place for all those involved.

The results achieved by the MCPEI Aboriginal Justice Program so far have provided positive growth and mutual respect in Aboriginal, and non-Aboriginal communities in PEI. This Program has improved and strengthened the understanding of each other’s uniqueness through both training and cross-cultural sharing. The Program has helped build a better future for all Aboriginal people by facilitating ownership, responsibility, accountability, and respect.

Aboriginal Justice Program Advisory Committee Role and Responsibility

The main purpose of the Advisory Committee is to advise the Aboriginal Justice Coordinator in planning, developing and evaluating the Aboriginal Justice Program that meet the needs of all Aboriginal people on PEI.

The Advisory Committee can benefit the Aboriginal Justice Program by helping to ensure that educational programming is aligned with Aboriginal needs; reinforcing networking opportunities with stakeholder groups; and by providing a source of informed advocates for the program 

The role and responsibility of the Aboriginal Justice Program Advisory Committee includes:

• Advising the Aboriginal Justice Coordinator on the need for and relative priority of specific areas within Aboriginal Justice Program
• Providing input to the work plan, budget, and proposal
• Advising on the content and structure of the Aboriginal Justice Program
• Assisting with Aboriginal Justice Program evaluation
• Developing awareness, understanding and support for the Aboriginal Justice Program to the public, Aboriginal communities, funders, and public decision makers
• Providing local knowledge, relevant background and or expertise that relate to Aboriginal justice issues
• Participating in discussion at committee meetings
• Providing recommendations to the Aboriginal Justice Coordinator for consideration
• Communicating through the Aboriginal Justice Coordinator

The role and responsibility of the Aboriginal Justice Coordinator includes:

• Ensuring that the Aboriginal Justice Program Advisory Committee and individual committee members are aware of the areas the program will address
• Providing orientation to the Aboriginal Justice Program Advisory Committee, especially to new members on the Committee
• Supporting the Aboriginal Justice Program Advisory Committee to function effectively

The Aboriginal Justice Program Advisory Committee is not involved in day-to-day operational and management issues. The Aboriginal Justice Coordinator is accountable to the MCPEI board.