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“Restorative Justice in Urban Aboriginal Communities”

Plett, Irene
June 4, 2015

Source: (1999) Alberta, Canada: Canadian Forum on Civil Justice.

Restorative justice perspectives and practices are slowly being implemented in Canadian criminal justice, especially for aboriginal offenders. However, according to Plett, there has been resistance to restorative changes with respect to aboriginal offenders in urban communities. In this paper then, Plett focuses on restorative justice in urban aboriginal communities, her aim being to disarm resistance to urban restorative justice. Her discussion includes a survey of the rationale for restorative justice, the status of restorative justice in Canadian law (Supreme Court decision in R. v. Gladue, and provisions of the Criminal Code), and various restorative processes (sentencing circles, mediation, family group conferencing). Detailed treatment is given to sentencing circles in the Yukon and in Vancouver, British Columbia. Plett also highlights the goals, values, and processes of the recently inaugurated Vancouver Aboriginal Restorative Justice Program.

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