The Centre de services de justice réparatrice – Center for Services in Restorative Justice (CSJR) creates spaces for expression, listening and sharing between individuals and/or groups who have been affected by situations of abuse and violence, whether or not they have gone through the justice system.
The purpose of the CSJR : To repair the tapestry of human interconnectedness, through improbable encounters, where bonds of trust have been broken.
To do so,
- The Centre accompanies groups and individuals who have suffered or committed similar types of crimes, as well as other members of society who wish to engage in a restorative justice process based on encounters and dialogue.
- The Centre supports individuals who have experienced individual or collective abuse and violence in their need to express themselves, to be acknowledged
and to find healing ; as well as people who have committed criminal acts in their process of accountability and reparation. - The Centre offers training, raises community awareness and encourages participation in restorative justice, with the aim of promoting social peace.
Restorative Justice is a process promoting a dialogue and offers a platform to share one’s experience in a group setting allowing people affected by violence (victims, offenders and members of the society) to find a healing pathway together. This approach favours repairing the social bonds that were broken after the traumatic events.
This alternative approach to justice aims at providing support both for victims that need to get emotional relief from the destructive result of the crimes and provide support for the offenders. Offenders need assistance to gain awareness of the impact of their actions on individuals and on the society. Each process involving restorative justice takes into consideration the social aspect of violence, both in its causes and its consequences.
The core values of CSJR are as follows:
- Respect
- Listening
- Trust
- Inclusion
Our policies
You can find all our policies, here (in French only).
Discover our Charter of Values (French only) and our Equity, diversity and inclusion policy (French only).
The CSJR has an approach founded on:
- The fundamental principles of humanism, in its broadest sense.
- The involvement of volunteers trained and supported by the CSJR.
- The active participation of community members.
- Building capacity for accompaniment and empowerment, based on values of mentorship and co-development.
- A creative approach in the services offered and in intervention techniques used, with a focus on innovation and responses adapted to specific needs.
- Offering a service continuum: welcoming, assisting, and directing to any other follow-up services. This services are available during and after the restorative justice encounters as well as complementary workshop options for support.
- A province-wide network throughout Quebec of collaboration and partnership, both for the referral, delivery and deployment of services and for raising awareness of restorative justice.
CSJR’s Services
Most services offered by CSJR are free of charge.
- Restorative justice encounters: to learn more, click here.
- Workshops
- Healing of memories
- Transfolab
- Awareness-Raising
CSJR works with universities, CEGEPs, organizations, etc., to raise awareness about restorative justice. CSJR supports individuals who wish to publicly share their restorative justice experiences.
→ Read testimonials from victims, offenders, and community members.
The group encounters take place over a seven-weeks period (called Victim Offender Encounters) or face
- The workshops
The CSJR offers different workshops for individuals who have committed or been victim of criminal acts.
Click on the following links to get more information.
- Living with experiences of childhood sexual abuse
- The road toward reparations
- Constructive communication and restorative justice
- Art-therapy and creativity workshops
- Healing of memories
- The strength of our indigenous voices
- Raising awareness
The CSJR supports and accompanies individuals who wish to publicly share their experience with restorative justice. These testimonials allow for:
- Speaking freely;
- Breaking down stereotypes and taboos;
- Raising community awareness of the consequences of violence and the role of each individual in the restorative process;
- Promote self-esteem and affirmation;
- Contributes to prevention and restoration.
Testimonials of individuals who have been victims, offenders, or members of the community