#ImpactYEG - Building a Safer Edmonton
Global Shapers Edmonton is piloting #ImpactYEG, a series aimed at highlighting the amazing work that social service delivery organizations provide in our communities. As a local organization with programming aimed at providing community-based resolutions to youth crime, we sat down with Terry Mack from the Edmonton Youth Justice Committee Society (EYJCS) to discuss her organization’s work in building a safer Edmonton.
PRATIKSHA: Tell us about the story of your organization and how your role fits into its overall mandate.
TERRY: My name is Terry Mack, and I am the Operations Manager at the Edmonton Youth Justice Committee Society (EYJCS). I have been involved with the EYJCS since 2018 and I am responsible for overseeing day to day program operations along with managing our 30+ volunteers.
Operating since 1995, EYJCS is a not-for-profit organization that relies on trained volunteers who are dedicated to providing an effective restorative justice program for Edmonton youth and the community. We recognize that crime or conflict can cause harm to people and their communities. Thus, our work focuses on repairing harm and providing a meaningful resolution to all people involved. Our operations are directly part of the Extrajudicial Sanctions Program that serves as an alternative to the court system for young people aged 12 to 17 with less-serious offences. Essentially, getting referred to the Extrajudicial Sanctions Program provides youth with an opportunity to deal with their offence outside of the court system.
PRATIKSHA: How are your cases referred to the EYJCS? Can you tell us a bit about the demographics of your program participants?
TERRY: Cases are referred primarily through the Edmonton Police Service or the Crown and can range from arson and theft to assault and pornography. In 2021, we had around 88 referrals where 63 were successfully completed through our program. Around 41% of program participants were female and the average age of our participants was around 16 years old.
PRATIKSHA: You mentioned restorative justice as a key principle in your work. How does this translate into your programming?
TERRY: EYJCS uses a restorative justice Circle process in order to help youth take responsibility and understand the harm caused by their actions and provide a voice to the community members who have been harmed.
We have a very high success completion rate for our program and our feedback from the youth participants is very positive. We have also had prior program participants rejoin the EYJCS as volunteers due to the impact of our programming in their life trajectory and the positive benefits they have experienced from the Circle process.
PRATIKSHA: Can you walk us through the experience of a young person who may be referred to the EYJCS and the steps they take as part of your program?
TERRY: Initially youth are often nervous as they begin the Circle process as this is the first time that they are face-to-face with the affected parties. To ease their participation in this process, we start by asking everyone attending – including volunteers and parents, to tell the group about a time when they did something dumb. Doing so levels the playing field in the process and makes the youth feel more comfortable in then sharing their story. We also discuss their home, school, and social life to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident and discuss their interests and goals.
At the end of the meeting, the Youth Justice Committee members will determine the appropriate Sanctions, where the youth will sign an Agreement stating that they will complete the Sanctions within the given time frame. Sanctions can range from an apology letter, an essay or a poster to community service. Our volunteers will follow up with the youth to ensure compliance of the Sanctions.
While the criminal charge will not proceed, youth must still attend their next court date even after successfully completing the Extrajudicial Sanctions Agreement. If charges were already laid, they will be withdrawn in court and the youth criminal record will be automatically expunged after a two-year period, and there will be no formal youth criminal record.
PRATIKSHA: How has the EYCJS adapted or pivoted since the COVID-19 pandemic?
TERRY: As the courts went through a major adjustment during the pandemic, EYJCS operations had to pivot accordingly – specifically as it relates to the referral process. Due to the ongoing public health restrictions and the stress on the courts, less serious offences were often dismissed in court or managed separately through the City of Edmonton’s Diversion program. Previously we had an average of around 300 referrals in a year that have dropped to 100 to 125 per year now.
Pre-pandemic all of the Circles were in-person, but we have since pivoted to conduct Zoom Circles and have adapted the process for a more virtual setting. Anecdotally, we have had an increase in complex cases involving homeless youth, youth in care, lack of social support, along with youth who are newcomers to Canada that also pose additional challenges.
PRATIKSHA: What are some of your takeaways from the past two years?
TERRY: Delivering our programming through Zoom has made our services more accessible for youth to participate in the Circle process and also further alleviated transportation issues.
We discovered that we build better connections with youth participants in-person and lead more impactful change, thus, our volunteers do prefer in-person Circles. Additionally, ‘Zoom fatigue’ has also been challenging to deal with.
While we have had more youth experiencing mental health issues and addictions, we also know that peer pressure is pervasive and continues to emerge as a key theme in our work. The internet and social media are also contributing factors to youth crime.
PRATIKSHA: What is next for EYJCS?
TERRY: In the next two years, we would like to expand our restorative justice programs for youth aged 18 to 24 years and are currently drafting proposals to initiate sanctions for this age group. We believe that the principles of restorative justice such as respect and accountability can be beneficial to groups outside of the Extrajudicial Sanctions Program and are looking to deliver our programming in schools or clubs in the near future.
PRATIKSHA: How can Edmontonians best support you?
TERRY: Due to the confidential nature of our programming, EYJCS often experiences challenges in fundraising as we are not able to fully share the impact of our work and the stories about the youth. But we are always looking for donations and also volunteers!
Beyond that, I think kindness and respect go a long way. There seems to be a decline in respect and a sense of living in community today that has consequences for our youth. As community members, we need to hold each other accountable as our actions have impact beyond ourselves. Edmontonians can support us by finding ways to practice accountability.
Pratiksha Gurung
