Downtown Community Court Community Partners

The Downtown Community Court is about partnership and problem solving to reduce crime. Community court collaborates with residents, community organizations and local businesses. The following programs and services contribute greatly to the court and make it possible for it to assist offenders and serve the community.

The Elizabeth Fry Society assists women and youth involved in the criminal justice system. It partners with community and government agencies to create programs and services that help build healthy and safe communities. The society operates three programs at community court. The program escorts persons appearing in court to their probation officers, case managers, and intake officers for court programs. In the weekly women's counselling group, women discuss issues that may have contributed to their criminal behaviour. The crime and consequences seminar is for women charged with a minor criminal offence and focuses on criminal behaviour and the impact of crime.

Watari Youth, Family and Community Services works with at-risk children, youth, families and communities. The Watari system negotiator is part of community court’s Mental Health Program. The system negotiator provides offenders with personalized support and helps offenders access community resources, such as housing, health, education, employment, addiction, financial and legal services. The system negotiator position is funded by the Law Foundation of British Columbia.

The Cambie Malone’s Group of restaurants has supported the court since it opened in 2008. Cambie Malone’s donates bagged lunches twice weekly for offenders doing community service. The lunches encourage participation and make it possible for offenders to complete court orders.

The Insurance Corporation of BC provided funds to assist the court with the Chronic Offenders Management Program and for the court to contract H.A.V.E. Cafe to make lunches for offenders enrolled in social, health and mental health programs at the community court, and for those completing community service.

Bean Around the World Coffee, Powell Street location, donates coffee once a month for clients of community court’s Case Management Team. This provides clients additional incentive to meet with their worker and helps community court build relationships with both clients and the community as a whole.

Telus donates over 1,000 comfort kits a year for community court clients. These kits include personal hygiene products.