Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister responsible for Justice, I would like to make a statement on Restorative Justice Week. Mr. Speaker, across Canada and around the world, people are observing Restorative Justice Week. This is an international movement to raise public awareness about the realities of crime, criminal justice and corrections. I would like to take a moment to discuss what that means in the NWT.
The philosophy of the restorative justice movement is to find a more holistic way of responding to the needs of people affected by crime and is inspired by aboriginal traditions. It focuses on having offenders take responsibility for their actions and on helping victims of crime recover.
Over the past few years in the NWT, we have been looking for different ways of responding to crime. For example, we have found that community justice committees are a more effective way of dealing with certain types of cases than the court system. I am pleased to note that the number of community justice committees is growing as more communities choose to get involved in this program.
We are working hard to bring the concepts of healing and restitution into our justice system, whether that means alternative measures for young offenders or bringing elders to our jails to work with inmates. Mr. Speaker, this year's theme for Restorative Justice Week is Harmony and Healing: Broken Wings Take New Flight. It is an opportunity for all of us to think about how to support everyone affected by crime and build stronger communities. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.