Community court will soon make a return to 91大黄鸭.

The main goal of community court, sometimes called integrated court, is to reduce crime and improve public safety by integrating justice, health and social services in an effort to address the root causes of criminal behaviour.

This integration allows the court to be better informed of offenders鈥� individual circumstances, provide more rehabilitation-focused sentences and more closely monitor compliance with community supervision orders.

91大黄鸭 previously had a community court, but it closed in 2012.

The re-establishment of a community court was a key recommendation of former 91大黄鸭 RCMP Supt. Bill McKinnon鈥檚 2018 crime reduction report.

鈥淎 lot has changed in 91大黄鸭 since the previous community court,鈥� said Geoffrey Barrow, co-chair of 91大黄鸭鈥檚 community court committee. 鈥淚t鈥檚 taken time to ensure there are enough support services in place and resources to ensure success of the model.鈥�

Barrow said a community court will address 鈥済aps鈥� in the traditional court approach, specifically for people whose interactions with the criminal justice system are a result of their substance use, mental health or housing challenges.

鈥淭he court seeks to do that by connecting individuals with the supports they need in the community and by monitoring their circumstances while they are subject to community supervision,鈥� he said.

鈥淚nitiatives like community court are a key part of reducing crime, improving public safety, and providing integrated justice, health and social services to address the root causes of crime in 91大黄鸭,鈥� said Darren Caul, the city鈥檚 community safety director.

The local advisory committee will start work with the province and stakeholders as 91大黄鸭 community court moves from a proposal stage to an operational model 鈥� for which a date has not yet been set.

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Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com