Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative

Led by BC Corrections, the Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative (ReVOII) brings together police, dedicated prosecutors and, probation officers to provide early interventions in cases involving repeat violent offending and where appropriate, connect individuals with services they need to help break the cycle.

In May 2023, 12 ReVOII hubs began operating throughout the province (Nanaimo, Victoria, Vancouver, Surrey, New Westminster, Abbotsford, Kamloops, Kelowna, Cranbrook, Prince George, Williams Lake and Terrace).

ReVOII is also supported by the new Special Investigation and Targeted Enforcement Program (SITE), which provides expanded resources to strengthen targeted police investigations of repeat violent offending cases and enhance coordination between police agencies.

As of November 2023, ReVOII hubs are also supported by dedicated Community Integration Specialists from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. Community Integration Specialists help individuals who need income assistance to apply for and access available ministry and community-based supports and services. This includes helping individuals who may have substance use or mental health diagnoses and who may be at risk of homelessness to access interim and ongoing supports and services.

Each hub supports the surrounding communities in the region and are staffed by people who live and work in the region to ensure familiarity with local issues and concerns. Through collaborative information sharing, each hub is designed to work with various agencies, local partners and other existing programs such as specialized courts, situation tables and Assertive Community Treatment teams. This includes connecting individuals who identify as Indigenous with culturally appropriate supports and resources, such as Indigenous Justice Centres.

Once an individual has been identified for the program, probation officers develop a personalized case management plan that includes interventions to address the individual’s unique and complex needs. Individuals will also experience a higher intensity of community supervision, and an increase in monitoring/surveillance by police. Police and probation officers work together to provide prosecutors with detailed information to support decision making regarding charge assessments and prosecutions.

In cases when an individual is released from custody, enhanced case management and release planning tailored to their specific needs is completed by a dedicated correctional supervisor and probation officer that are located within each provincial correctional centre.

This multi-agency response ensures that individuals are continuously monitored from investigation, charge assessment, bail, trial or plea and sentencing, through to enhanced release planning and ongoing case management of community supervision orders.

ReVOII is one part of the Safe Communities Action Plan, which lays out concrete steps at the provincial level to make communities safer through enforcement and intervention services.