Globally, Restorative Justice Week was celebrated this week to bring reparation to individuals, or homes, that have been victims of crime and conflicts.

A handbook prepared for the United Nations' Office on Drugs and Crime by Yvon Dandurand,University College of the Fraser Valley dean of research, explained that restorative justice programs can be used to reduce the burden on the criminal justice system.

It can also be used to divert cases out of the system and provide the system with a range of constructive sanctions.

In British Columbia, the Victoria Police Department (VicPD) on its website commended Restorative Justice Victoria (RJV) for its contribution to community safety.

In an article on the website, VicPD said the program emphasizes a victim-centered approach which seeks accountability from offenders and a non-adversarial means of “making things right”.

"The goal of restorative justice is to reach meaningful, satisfying, and fair outcomes through inclusion, open communication, and truth-telling."

`"At VicPD, we are grateful for the great work of our partners at Restorative Justice Victoria,’’ the article read.

It said the department had been working closely with RJV since 2007 to achieve outcomes outside of the traditional court system, or in conjunction with that system.

`"We refer over 60 files to Restorative Justice Victoria every year. The most common files referred to Restorative Justice Victoria are theft under $5,000, mischief under $5,000, and assault," the website stated.

`"During Restorative Justice Week VicPD thanks Restorative Justice Victoria for their valued contribution to community safety,’’ the website stated.

On its website, RJV said `"we take a victim-centred approach to restorative justice and help offenders take responsibility for their actions in a way they can feel good about."

Part of RJV’s five main goals include: assisting and supporting victims in identifying and seeking redress for the harms and needs they have experienced resulting from crime.

As well, they work to provide meaningful and helpful support to victims in their healing and recovery from crime and creating opportunities for offenders to accept and demonstrate accountability for the harms they have caused to victims and the community.