The BC First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC) and the Prince George RCMP signed a letter of agreement this afternoon (Tuesday), marking a milestone achievement in Strategy 1 of the BC First Nations Justice Strategy.
BCFNJC Chair Kory Wilson and Prince George RCMP Darin Rappel signed the agreement at the newly opened Indigenous Diversion Centre.
“This is a momentous advancement advancement of Indigenous-led justice reform and a start to transforming the relationship between First Nations and policing,” Wilson said.
“Police are most often the first aspect of a person’s interaction with the justice system, and as the main referrer to the diversion centre, the RCMP is key to helping Indigenous folks access culturally appropriate supports and resources.”
According to the BCFNJC, the Indigenous Diversion Centre is the first-of-its-kind in Canada, and a therapeutic diversion model that focuses on the root causes of offending by providing a caring cultural environment where true rehabilitation and healing can occur.
The IDC has a pre-charge program, which will divert Indigenous people away from being charged with eligible offences to the IDC where they can commit to following an individualized 90-day diversion plan to have their charges dropped.
There is also a post-release program supporting individuals in reintegrating into the community after release from custody.
“The Prince George City RCMP is excited to work with the BC First Nation’s Justice Council in providing a community-based alternative to the criminal justice system,” Rappel said.
“For certain types of crimes, where those causing the harm are found to be in the repeating cycle of criminality, police can consider the Indigenous Diversion Centre.”
The IDC opened its doors with a soft launch of the post-release program in July, and the diversion project is underway with pre-charge and post-release programming now available to Indigenous, Métis, and Inuit adults in Prince George.
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