“I could only hear half the story”. By becoming aware of this reality, David Shantz, who was a prison chaplain, decided to build on existing initiatives developed in Ontario to organize the first victim-offender encounters in Québec’s penitentiaries. This started twenty years ago.
Ten years later, he met Thérèse de Villette who had just been the secondary victim of a murder. After gaining awareness of restorative justice’s benefits, she began implementing this approach in her own life.
Around the same period of time, David and Thérèse met Mario Marchant who had just finished a course on Restorative Justice at Eastern Mennonite University (USA). Thérèse and Mario recongnized the need to create a centre to promote restorative justice and respond to the needs of victims, offenders, and the community.
David, Thérèse, and Mario, together with other pioneers (Raoul Lincourt and Gilles David, among others), went along and created the Centre for Services in Restorative Justice, which was accredited in on September 11, 2001.
Since then, 801 people living with the consequences of akin crimes have chosen to dare getting involved in victim offender encounters.
Our Founders
David Schantz
Thérèse de Villette
Mario Marchand
Gilles David
Raoul Lincourt
Awards and Prizes
2019
Prix Coup de Coeur de la Société de criminologie du Québec.
Awarded to CSJR.
2018
Ron Wiebe Restorative Justice Award
Awarded to Estelle Drouvin, Coordinator of CSJR
2017
YMCA Peace Medals
Awarded to Laurent Champagne, Vice-President of CSJR
2016
Honorary Award “40 years of Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms”
Awarded to Raoul Lincourt, President of CSJR
Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers
Awarded to Raoul Lincourt, President of CSJR
Diocesan’s Merit Medal
Awarded to Estelle Drouvin, Coordinator of CSJR
2015
Ron Wiebe Restorative Justice Award
Awarded to Raoul Lincourt, President of CSJR
2013
Ron Wiebe Restorative Justice Award
Awarded to Catherisse Rossi, Administrator of CSJR
Restorative Justice Award from Cowansville Establishment
Awarded to Laurent Champagne, Administrator of CSJR
2012
Taylor Award Recipient
Awarded to Gilles David, Co-Founder of CSJR
Prix Hommage bénévolat-Québec
Awarded to Raoul Lincourt, President of CSJR
2011
YMCA Peace Medals
Awarded to Raoul Lincourt, President of CSJR