Strategic Planning

 

The intended goals from the Strategic Planning in 2023 were prepared for Contingency and increase Community Engagement in support of increasing awareness and use of Restorative Justice.  During 2023, the following steps have been taken:

 

Contingency

 

As will be discussed in the Budget Proposal, the average yearly operating cost for CDRJS is $46,000.  As CDRJS is a society and operates as a no-for-profit organization, the operating funds are obtained through a variety of grants, roughly equivalent to the required $46,000.  The contract with the Program Coordinator is based on an hourly rate.  An operational yearly maximum of $30,000 for private contracting is applied as there is a requirement at the provincial and federal level that CDRJS be charged Sales Tax in addition to the Income Tax charged to the Program Coordinator.

 

The dilemma exists that if there is not a change in funding allocations for Restorative Justice, only RJ Programs in large centers, which can access large municipal grants or predictable yearly grants allowing funding the funding of operations, will be able to function with fully-funded staff.  A number of smaller centers function completely within the government Community Accountability Program grant of $4000/yr.

 

One of the solutions employed to address the issue of funding and  tax caps has been the permission given to the program coordinator to sub-contract some of the operations and training functions. Deb McPhee has provided this service as her facilitation started in 2002 and she received authorization to extend Restorative Justice Training in 2013.

 

Community Engagement (Deb and/or Deb is referring to Deb and Doug McPhee)

 

March 2024:  Doug started initial planning with Creston Restorative Justice to deliver CJF Training in Creston and  referring communities in April 2024

 

February 2024:  In connection with the posting of the AGM notice with Black Press, Doug wrote and information item for the “Letters to the Editor” portion of the Townsman.  The article focused on public awareness of Restorative Justice and the cost-benefits to the community. (page 17)

 

February 2024:  Doug attended a workshop at COTR, a panel discussion on “Access to Justice”

 

February 2024: Deb and Doug developed and presented the workshop on Restorative Practices at Fernie Secondary

 

January 2024: Deb and Doug met with ANKORS with respect to continuing the work on Hate and Raced-based reporting protocols

 

January 2024: Doug was added to the Board Meeting of School District 5 (Southeast Kootenay) to obtain permission to provide Restorative Practices training for Fernie Secondary

 

January 2024: Doug developed and circulated a poster offering CJF Training for the Spring of 2024

 

December 2023: Doug became a Rotary Member and Ron Popoff became a Board Member for CDRJS

 

November 2023: Doug attended a workshop put on by the City of Cranbrook and Interior Health to discuss “Poverty Reduction”

 

November 2023: Doug circulated the information for and attended an online workshop put on by Benjamin Perrin – “Indictment – the Criminal Justice System on Trial”

 

November 2023: Deb and Doug developed and presented an Information Session for the Cranbrook Rotary on the request of Ron Popoff

 

October 2023: Deb and Doug developed and presented an Information Session with the Watch Commands of the Cranbrook RCMP on the request of Katie Forgeron and Amanda Peters.

 

October 2023: Doug developed and circulated a poster offering CJF Training for the Fall of 2023

 

April 2023: Deb and Doug developed and presented an Information Session for the Criminology Students at COTR