Restorative Opportunities
Victim-Offender Mediation Services 2015 to 2016

REFERRAL STATISTICS

Annual Referrals 1998 to 2016

Participation in the RO program is available to people harmed by the offence requesting to communicate with the offender who caused the harm. Since 1992, the RO program receives requests from victims directly, or through a victim representatives acting on behalf of registered victims. Federal offenders serving a sentence under the jurisdiction of the Correctional Service Canada and who have taken responsibility for their actions may express their interest to participate in the RO program to a CSC staff person. For the purposes of this report, these are represented as institutional referrals.

Although CSC’s VOM services have been available since 1992, this graph includes referrals received since 1998. From 1992 to 1997, program data collection on incoming referrals was not standardized and requests for VOM services were not recorded.

Annual Referrals

The total number of referrals received during fiscal year 2010–2011 remains the largest number of referrals received since the beginning of the RO Program. RO program outreach and presentations were completed in-person from 2007/2008 to 2010/2011 and were effective in referral increases; while the years where the Restorative Justice Unit was unable to deliver in-person presentations shows the opposite. The slight increase in 2015/2016 may be due to the coming into force of the Canadian Victim’s Bill of Rights, which provides victims with a right to information on Restorative Justice programs.

Referral Origin 1992 to 2016

The number of institutional referrals continues to exceed the number of victim initiated referrals. The Québec Region is the only region to maintain higher victim initiated referrals versus institutional initiated referrals. Pacific has the highest ratio of institutional initiated referrals. The Atlantic Region demonstrates an equal number of referrals by both groups.

Regional Snapshot 1992 to 2016

The Pacific Region has provided VOM services for more years than any other of the 4 regions in Canada. For this reason, Pacific has the highest number of cases.

Referrals by Region 1992 to 2016

VICTIM-OFFENDER MEDIATION SERVICES
FISCAL YEAR 2015 to 2016

Types of Dialogues Facilitated in Fiscal Year 2015 to 2016

FACE-TO-FACE DIALOGUES 1992 to 2016

Face-to-Face Meetings per Year

Between 1992 and March 31st 2016, 234 offenders participated in 375 face-to-face dialogues.

Number of Face to Face Meetings between Victims and Offenders by Year

Number of Face-to-Face Meetings per Offender

Of the 234 offenders:

OFFENDER PARTICIPANT SNAPSHOT

Age

• The age of the offenders who participated in a VOM face-to-face meeting at the time of their offence ranged from 15 to 64, with an average age of 30.
• Their age at the time of their first VOM face-to-face meeting, ranged from 18 to 81, with an average of 41.
• The time between offence and VOM face-to-face meeting ranged from 7 months to 33 years, with an average of 9 years.

Marital Status

• -44% of offender participants were single at the time of their participation in a VOM face-to-face meeting.
• -29% were in committed relationships, either common-law or marriage.
• 23% were separated or divorced from their partners, and
• 4% were widowers.

Gender

• 94% of offender participants were male and 6% were female.
• These ratios are comparable to the general federally-sentenced offender population:

Aboriginal Representation

Sixteen percent of participants were of Aboriginal origin. This representation is below the Aboriginal representation in the total federally-sentenced and incarcerated offender population of 22%^[3].

Religious Affiliation

Religious Affiliation of Offender Participants

Risk/Needs

For those who were rated at the time of intake, the majority of offender participants were rated as high risk and moderate needs.

INDEX OFFENCES

Offence Type

Offences for which a VOM face-to-face meeting was sought:

• 50% murder, manslaughter or attempted murder
• 27% sexual offences
• 7% robberies or break and enter
• 5% driving offences causing death or bodily harm
• 5% assaults
• 3% death by criminal negligence
• 2% kidnapping and forcible confinement
• 1% threat and criminal harassment

CONDITIONAL RELEASE SUCCESS STATISTICS

Participant Status at Time of Face-to-Face

Status at Time of Face to Face Meeting

Current Participant Offender Status

Of the 234 offenders, 69 are presently incarcerated, 157 offenders have either reached warrant expiry or are on release, 3 offenders were deported, and 5 are deceased.

Of the 234 offenders:

Timeframe of Release Post-VOM Face-to-Face

Of the 165 offenders who were incarcerated and eligible for conditional release at the time of their victim-offender mediation, 107 were subsequently released.

• 21% of offenders were released within 1 year of their next eligibility
• 42% of offenders were released within 2 years of their next eligibility
• 67% of offenders were released within 3 years of their next eligibility
• 78% of offenders were released within 4 years of their next eligibility
• 80% of offenders were released within 5 years of their next eligibility

The majority were released on day parole (n:56) and statutory release (n:40).

Reoffending Following VOM Face-to-Face

Recidivism

Of the 177 offenders who were either on release when they participated in a VOM face-to-face meeting or who were subsequently released:

• 98% had not re-offended within 1 year of their face-to-face meeting.
• 90% had not re-offended within 5 years of their face-to-face meeting.
• By Year 10, 88% had not re-offended.

Offences Committed Post-VOM

Of the 234 offenders involved in face-to-face meetings (this includes all offenders since 1992 who were on release at the time of their face-to-face meeting, subsequently released, and incarcerated at the time of this report):

• 213 offenders (91%) have not committed a new offence
• 21 offenders (9%) have committed a new offence

Type of Offences Committed Post-VOM

Of the 21 offenders who committed a new offence post-VOM:

• 7 (34%) charged with Robbery as their major offence;
• 2 (9%) charged with Sexual Assault as their major offence;
• 3 (14%) charged with Assault;
• 2 (9%) charged with criminal harassment;
• 2 (9%) charged with B&E;
• 1 (5%) charged with possession of substance for trafficking;
• 1 (5%) charged under a provincial statute;
• 1 (5%) charged with possession of restricted firearm;
• 1 (5%) charged with kidnapping
• 1 (5%) charged with indecent act with intent to insult

Note that 14 (70%) of new charges are for lesser offences than those for which mediation was sought.

PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK

Victims and offenders provide us with feedback on their experience participating in the Restorative Opportunities program. Overall, participants show great satisfaction, finding strong support from the RO mediators, who are praised for their level of professionalism, honesty, and dedication. Victims expressed their expectations being met and, in some cases, exceeded, finding healing in the process and a sense of closure. Many offenders expressed an increased level of empathy toward the victim and appreciation for the compassion the mediators provided them.