Use of Community Service Orders and Restitution in the Canadian North: The Prospects and Problems of "Localized" Corrections (From Criminal Justice, Restitution, and Reconciliation, P 145-153, 1990, Burt Galaway and Joe Hudson, eds. -- See NCJ-126460)

• NCJ Number: 126472
• Author(s): C T Griffiths; A L Patenaude
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 9 pages
• Sale Source: Criminal Justice Press/Willow Tree Press
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper considers the prospects and difficulties of using community service orders and restitution among the Native Indians and Inuit of Canada's Northwest Territories.

Abstract

The Native Indians and Inuit have traditionally used justice systems based upon the restoration of order and reparation to the injured party. These traditional justice forms among these people have been ignored by the Anglo-Canadian criminal justice system, although their use could increase the self-determination of Native people and reduce their social-structural dependence on the dominant society. Community service, restitution, and victim-offender reconciliation are approaches that could make the delivery of justice service more relevant to communities. Difficulties that may hinder the development and effectiveness of community corrections in the Northwest Territories are the dependence of Indian and Inuit communities on outside government to initiate, fund, and support community corrections programs; conflict between traditional Indian and Inuit concepts of conflict resolution and those represented by community-service order and restitution programs; and the operational difficulties of developing and maintaining such programs. These programs would be better served if they reflected community characteristics and traditional customs of Indian and Inuit residents. 21 references (Author abstract modified)