Satisfying Justice - A Compendium of Initiatives, Programs and Legislative Measures

Foreword

I was delighted that the Church Council on Justice and Corrections agreed to take on the challenge of compiling a listing of community-based responses to crime; the Correctional Service of Canada has been happy to assist with the costs involved.

Many, maybe most people, agree that, in principle, non-violent offenders should be handled in the community and not sent to prison. However, there is clearly skepticism as to whether effective sanctions can be designed for, and delivered in, the community (skepticism that claims by heroic inference that imprisonment is an effective sanction for these low-risk offenders!).

This compilation should help people to understand that there are a variety of programs in existence, some more successful than others. There is no magical formula that can meet the needs of all communities, but if the compilation provokes creative approaches and a good proportion indeed reach the objectives set for them, we will have made progress.

John Edwards
Commissioner
Correctional Service of Canada