Community Accountability Programs Information ... - Ministry of Justice

and how offences are affecting your community. The information andanalysis will help you develop a community profile, which will provide asolid foundation for your initiative and help you generate the communitysupport you will need to develop your program.For more information on the needs assessment process, refer to the bookletentitled Identifying Your Community’s Crime Problem: A Guide to NeedsAssessment. This booklet forms part of the Safe Communities Kit and can bedownloaded from the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General Website at www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/community_programs. To order a copy onCD-ROM, contact Community Programs Division. (See page 4 for contactinformation.)Community participationINFORMING THE COMMUNITYThe next step in developing a Community Accountability Program is to calla community meeting. This will allow you to present your information andideas about developing a restorative justice program. It is an effective wayto generate community interest and get people involved.When planning your community meeting, consider the following:• What do you want to achieve through this meeting?• What is the most effective way to present your ideas?• Where is the best place to hold it, and how long should it last?• How should you get the word out so that you can include as manypeople as possible?• How can you ensure that you are reaching out to everyone in yourcommunity and that all sectors and groups are represented?• Do members of your community have any travel or commutingconcerns that may affect their ability to attend?When drawing up an invitation list, you may wish to includerepresentatives from local government, justice-related organizations, andother community groups that may have knowledge of and experience in thejustice system or restorative justice approaches. Make sure to invitecriminal justice partners from your community, such as the police, Crowncounsel, probation officers, and victim services organizations. They may beGetting Started 31