File photo (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Connor Gunn

REPEAT OFFENDERS

B.C. report on repeat offending identifies three key recommendations

Oct 2, 2022 | 9:25 AM

VICTORIA — The Province of British Columbia received the final investigative report about the challenges of repeat offending.

In a government release Saturday (Oct. 1), an investigation was made identifying key recommendations for the future on the topic of unprovoked, violent stranger attacks that some communities are facing.

“In co-operation with the BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus, the Province hired experts in mental health and policing, Amanda Butler and Doug LePard, to conduct a rapid investigation into these public safety challenges and recommend evidence-based solutions to keep people and communities safe,” the release states.

60 experts with practical or academic knowledge contributed to the report which includes mayors, police, the BC Prosecution Service, health authorities, and the Crown Police Liaison Committee.

“Government has been working to build a comprehensive system of mental-health and addictions services to get people help to break the cycle of offending so that everyone can live in safer communities,” the release highlights.

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In response to the ongoing work regarding repeat offenders, the government eyes three recommendations:

1. Bringing back the prolific offender management program that ran from 2008 until 2012. The program had success bringing together community partners such as police, mental-health and community support service providers to monitor and help offenders break the cycle of repeat offending and was shown to reduce repeat offending by as much as 40% in the first year
2. Establishing a dedicated provincial committee to co-ordinate supports for people with complex health-care needs in the criminal justice system
3. Supporting work by the BC First Nations Justice Council to develop a pilot program based at the Prince George First Nations Justice Centre to better support Indigenous people who come into conflict with the law.

The full report follows the release of 28 recommendations that were released on Sept. 21, 2022.

More information will be released when it is made available.