Mr. Speaker, I would like to update

the House on some of the positive directions being taken by the Department of Justice in the area of community justice. Community justice is about placing more capacity and control into the hands of the community to deal with offenders and victims. This government is committed to finding innovative approaches to the administration of justice services. In response to community requests, the department is promoting a shift in the way that justice services are delivered. The aim is to develop a system that is more responsive to the realities in our communities. We need to increase community control of the administration of justice and, in partnership with communities, move toward a restorative justice approach. Such an approach is aimed at healing the offender, victim and community, viewing crime as a symptom of another problem affecting the overall health of a community.

A community driven process is often more likely to produce a satisfactory outcome for everyone than a court-based process. When the community is involved with the offender directly in the justice process, there is an opportunity for an offender to accept responsibility for the act committed and a chance for victims concerns to be addressed, perhaps through a reconciliation between victim and offender. There is also an opportunity to identify and address any underlying factors that have caused the crime. Efforts in this area are starting to show some effect. The number of criminal cases diverted to community justice committees in 1997 was up 30 percent compared to the previous year. We are aiming to build on this success in the current year.

Recently, new funding arrangements with the department were introduced to ensure that more community justice committees are receiving funding than ever before. New training material and resources have been made available for committee use and development.

Community justice workers play an important part in this process by encouraging and supporting communities in developing an interest and capacity to deal with justice issues locally. I believe that experience, self-confidence and capacity are being developed every time an offence is handled by the community.

In the area of training, a joint effort by the department, RCMP and communities has resulted in three successful regional training workshops this spring. In Iqaluit, Cambridge Bay and Inuvik, members of Community Justice Committees from across the Arctic have been learning to use family group conferencing techniques. These techniques help the committee work with offenders, victims and their families in order to restore balance within the community after a crime has occurred. Further plans are being worked on to have similar workshops in the Sahtu and South Slave regions.

There is also an important place for community involvement in dealing with offenders who have been dealt within the formal justice system and sentenced to custody. Earlier this session, I spoke about camps which were in place and were being developed for adult offenders. Currently, there are 42 offenders living in camps and community residential centres.

Mr. Speaker, a solid base now exists in the west and we are focusing our attention on developing resources in Nunavut. All camps are operated by community members on a contract basis and training sessions for contractors and potential contractors have taken place.

Discussions with potential camp operators are currently taking place with community members from Pond Inlet, Pangnirtung, Kimmirut, Hall Beach, Cape Dorset, Iqaluit and Clyde River. It is this government's expectation that, out of this process, more camps for adult offenders will be opening soon in Nunavut.

Mr. Speaker, I believe there is great potential for a growing role for community members to be more involved and in control of the justice process. I strongly support all efforts to develop this potential and I believe we are making headway in this area. As Minister of Justice, I plan to continue to make community justice a priority. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause