Annual Report

2017 Annual Report Youth Justice. Restorative Justice. Social Justice. A Message from Table of Our Vision our Founder and Contents Youth realizing their full Executive Director potential and building safe and peaceful communities. 2017 was a year of change both in Toronto and at 03 Peacebuilders. A Message from our Founder and Executive Director What does it mean? Peacebuilders launched two new programs in 2017 as Peacebuilders envisions justice and education part of our commitment to advance restorative practices, 04 systems that are committed to helping youth, enhance youth access to justice, and work towards a more A Statistical Snapshot of Youth in especially those who are vulnerable and just and equitable society by advocating for the interests Conflict with the Law marginalized. We forsee systems that adapt to and needs of young people. young peoples’ needs—that actually engage youth divert more young people from court and keep them out and communities and make them stronger. That’s The first, our Restorative Schools Early Diversion Pilot of the criminal justice system altogether. 06 why we use restorative practices to work with Project, works in partnership with the Toronto District Restorative Justice youth and empower them to overcome conflict School Board, the Toronto Police Service, Justice for We also welcome the Toronto District School Board’s and realize their full potential. Children and Youth, and other stakeholders to intervene decision to end the School Resource Officer Program 08 at various points along the school-to-prison pipeline. and remove 36 police officers from 45 of the TDSB’s Restorative Schools We do this by using restorative practices as alternatives 112 schools. This decision is an important step in Our Mission to suspensions, expulsions, and charges, and as a way of rethinking the relationship between our education and supporting youth in conflict at school. criminal justice systems—a policy shift that Peacebuilders To increase the capacity of 10 continues to champion. Circle Keepers youth, schools, communities, The second, our Advocacy and Public Legal Education and the justice system program, builds on Peacebuilders’ 15 years of experience Increased referrals to our court-diversion program and working in our justice and education systems, to advocate new initiatives have allowed us to bring on several new 12 to communicate and for the needs and perspectives of young people. We are staff, volunteers, and board members this year. Advocacy and Public Legal manage conflict through also conducting an evaluation of our court-diversion We are inspired by the tremendous work of our Education Peacebuilding dialogues. program with criminologist, Scot Wortley. staff, volunteers, board, advisors, and especially the commitment of our young people, who remind us of These programs demonstrate our ongoing leadership in what we can accomplish when we work together. 14 What does it mean? Thank You to our Supporters the field as our city adopts new policies and programs. In Peacebuilders promotes the use of restorative June, the Toronto Police Service launched a pre-charge Sincerely, principles and practices in our justice and diversion program for youth. Its aim is to keep young 15 education systems, and in our communities, people out of the courts by diverting them to supportive Who We Are through advocacy and restorative justice programs community services for non-violent offences. The that use Peacebuilding Circles. initiative is an important opportunity to prevent young people from getting trapped in the revolving door of Eva E. Marszewski, Elisha Muskat the criminal justice system. With the right consultation, O.Ont, L.S.M. Executive Director evaluation and feedback, this protocol has the potential to Founder and CEO 2 | PEACEBUILDERS CANADA • ANNUAL REPORT 2017 YOUTH JUSTICE • RESTORATIVE JUSTICE • SOCIAL JUSTICE | 3 More than 50% Only 1 in 5 of Toronto youth between children who need mental the ages of 15 and 24 health services receive don’t have jobs. them in Canada. A Statistical Snapshot Young people in Ontario— Many youth with diagnosed and of Youth in Conflict especially in Toronto— undiagnosed mental health issues end are among the least up in the youth justice system instead with the Law employed in the country. of receiving the mental health care they need. Approximately 40% of youth in A criminal record, or even an encounter custody in Ontario have mental health with the criminal justice system, can make diagnoses. Most youth who come into contact with the justice While we track our work with statistics, the value of it even more difficult for young people to system are vulnerable or marginalized. The justice system Peacebuilders’ programs is about more than just the secure employment. is not equipped to address the underlying issues that lead numbers. We take a youth-centred approach that builds to conflict with the law. Peacebuilders’ work with young conflict resolution skills in young people that we hope will people focuses on diverting them out of the justice system guide them over their lifetimes. 40,000 youth in before trial and focusing on longer term solutions that go Canada spend part of beyond the specific incident. 1 in 4 the year homeless. In kids in Toronto live Toronto, 78% of homeless below the poverty line. youth reported at least one Young people who live in poverty of all 19,490 school negative encounter with 56% days were missed as a experience barriers to accessing services police over the past year. individuals charged with and resources that support positive a crime in Ontario are result of suspensions from development and future success. These Many of the “criminal behaviours” that youth. But youth only the Toronto District School barriers contribute to conflict with the street-involved youth are arrested for Board in 2015-2016. justice system. are a result of the many challenges represent 23% of the associated with being homeless. province’s population. We know that suspensions are not only ineffective, but also inequitable: racialized students Few of the young people who end up are 3 times more likely to be suspended for the in court are serious offenders. But an same behaviours as their white peers. Students interaction with the justice system— Black and Indigenous youth are with special education needs make up more than 2x more Black, Indigenous and even just one appearance in court— 60% of suspensions annually. Evidence shows overrepresented in the youth racialized youth report being stopped and increases a young person’s risk of that harsh school disciplinary measures are justice system at 4 to 5 times future conviction by almost 25%. associated with entry into the justice system. searched by police than non-racialized youth. the rate of their white peers. 4 | PEACEBUILDERS CANADA • ANNUAL REPORT 2017 YOUTH JUSTICE • RESTORATIVE JUSTICE • SOCIAL JUSTICE | 5 OUR IMPACT Restorative 100 80 41 3,000 Justice referrals young people peer-to-peer lunches were were made to had charges Peacebuilding provided to young Peacebuilders’ withdrawn Circles with people appearing Restorative Youth before trial court-involved in court Circles Program youth Keeping young people out of 56% of all “…in Peacebuilders I learned methods to stop our drama, take a the criminal justice individuals charged with a deep breath, take a step back, and work through any problem.” system crime in Ontario are youth. But youth only represent When the Youth Criminal Justice Act was passed in 23% of the province’s 2002, Canada had one of the highest rates of youth A Poem by M.A. incarceration in the western world. In the last fifteen years, population. First off, let me take responsibility, the shift towards community-based interventions and the I know that I was wrong because this was a loss and not a victory. Act’s emphasis on non-court responses and alternative Jail is not where I belong, just the thought of it sickens me. measures, such as restorative justice, have led our youth continue to be overrepresented in the criminal justice system. I want to forget this fight but I remember it vividly. I wish I could change all the variables. M and S got into a fight incarceration rate to decline by 75%. With more funding and recognition for the effectiveness of Maybe shouldn’t have answered the phone or walked away and trust me over a girl that led to restorative justice—and less reliance on police and courts to I know it’s terrible, losing my friend is unbearable Shortly after the Act was passed, Peacebuilders began address youth misbehaviour—we could keep hundreds more To the point where I’m hysterical. M’s arrest. M completed I literally see the new change in me because I know I am unbreakable. Peacebuilders’ RYC running restorative justice and court-diversion programs young people in Toronto from ending up in court every year. I learned how to avoid the fight; I’ve had nightmares every night. program in 2017. At the in Toronto. In the first year, we received 20 referrals. Our Me and S were so close, and now our friendship is out of sight. program now receives more than 100 referrals annually. That’s why our restorative court-diversion program, I regret the fight every day, if I saw him I would say, end of the program, “I’m sorry bro, and I hope you know, that if I could I would’ve walked away.” he wrote this spoken We also help hundreds of other youth and families Restorative Youth Circles (RYC), takes a different approach After the fight, in Peacebuilders I learned methods to stop our drama. word poem about his navigate the justice system through court support and to access to justice—one that is about more than getting Take a deep breath, take a step back, and work through any problem.

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