When harm happens in a community, the instinct is often to ask: who should be punished? The Regional Red Deer Restorative Justice (RRDRJ) program asks a different question: how do we repair what was broken?
A Different Kind of Justice
RRDRJ is a community-based restorative justice program serving youth, families, and communities across Central Alberta. Rather than routing every conflict through the formal court system, RRDRJ offers an alternative rooted in dialogue, accountability, and healing. The program works in partnership with RCMP detachments, the Alberta Crown Prosecutor’s Office, schools, and community organizations to give people a voice in how harm is addressed.
At the heart of this work is a simple but powerful belief: harm is best addressed not through punishment alone, but through meaningful conversation, relationship repair, and community support.
What Does RRDRJ Actually Do?
The program operates across three main areas:
Youth Diversion and Justice Referrals. When a young person has caused harm, RRDRJ can offer a restorative conference as an alternative to court. In these structured conversations, the young person takes responsibility, hears directly from those affected, and works with everyone involved to create an agreement about how to make things right. Completing this process can divert youth from the formal justice system entirely.
Restorative School Culture. RRDRJ works directly inside schools to shift how conflict and discipline are handled. Through circle facilitation, professional development for educators, and ongoing school presence, the program helps build learning environments where accountability and belonging go hand in hand.
Community Engagement and Education. RRDRJ also works to build broader community understanding of restorative practices, equipping parents, educators, law enforcement, and service providers with tools to handle conflict in restorative ways.
How the Process Works
Participation in RRDRJ is always voluntary. No one is pressured into the process, and anyone can step back at any time.
When a case is referred, trained facilitators meet individually with each person involved, including the person responsible, the person harmed, and their families. These preparation interviews help everyone feel ready before coming together for a restorative conference.
At the conference, participants sit in a circle and work through a guided conversation. Each person shares their perspective: what happened, how it affected them, and what they think needs to happen to repair the harm. Together, the group creates a written agreement outlining specific, achievable actions with clear timelines. Once those actions are completed, the file is officially closed.
Grounded in Community Values
RRDRJ’s approach is trauma-informed and culturally responsive. Facilitators are trained to create spaces where all participants, including Indigenous youth and families, newcomers, and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, feel safe and respected. The program also recognizes that many young people who cause harm have themselves experienced trauma, marginalization, or disconnection, and that addressing those root causes matters for lasting change.
Why It Matters
Restorative justice has been used in Canadian communities for over 40 years, and research consistently shows it reduces reoffending, increases satisfaction for those harmed, and builds stronger communities. For Central Alberta, RRDRJ represents a local commitment to that evidence: that people can take responsibility, that relationships can be repaired, and that communities are better equipped to heal when everyone has a seat at the table.
To learn more or make a referral, visit rrdrestorativejustice.ca or contact Executive Director Jo Phillips at ed@rrdrestorativejustice.ca.
