VANCOUVER ABORIGINAL TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE SERVICES SOCIETY
“Human kind has not woven the web of life,
we are but one thread within it.
What we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect”
The simple concepts of traditional healing and accountability over punishment and isolation has led us to where we are now with Transformative Justice programs all over the country.
Our Mission: strengthening Resiliency within the Indigenous Community
Vancouver Aboriginal Transformative Justice Services Society (VATJSS) was established in 1998 and saw its first client in 2000. The creation of VATJSS was a result of the Department of Justice acknowledgment of how “the criminal justice system has failed Aboriginal People at every stage of the justice system.” VATJSS was put into place as part of the Aboriginal Justice Strategy, now called the Indigenous Justice Programs (IJP), which is a National entity designed to support Indigenous People to reduce crime and incarceration, allow Indigenous people the opportunity to assume greater responsibility for the administration of justice within their community and foster improved responsiveness, fairness, inclusiveness of justice system with respect to justice and its administration.
VATJSS now has 11 full time staff members, a team of volunteers on our Community Council and 5 volunteer Board Members. The VATJSS has supported community members and many stages of the Criminal Justice System from prevention to diversion to interception. Transforming lives to create stronger hearts, stronger minds and stronger community.
What We've Achieved
We have created many different resources and methods of healing and revitalizing our communities. Here are but a few examples of the services, resources and opportunities we have created.