Region of Waterloo invests $2.8 million in creation of new Justice Centre

Waterloo Region – The Region of Waterloo is investing $2.8 million over the next five years in the creation of a new Community-based Justice Centre led by Community Justice Initiatives.

 The new Centre will address root causes of social harms through upstream interventions that are compatible with restorative justice principles. The vision for the Centre was created through months of discussion between members of the nationally recognized Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council and Community Justice Initiatives and was supported by Regional Council through the 2022 Budget process.

The Centre reflects a bold new vision for better integration of justice, social, and health services to address root causes of inequities, systemic barriers, and unmet human needs through upstream approaches.

“The new Justice Centre proposed by Community Justice Initiatives and the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council is an exciting community based Upstream initiative that will employ social development activities informed by the social determinants of health, and with a restorative justice lens, to improve the health and criminal justice outcomes for those marginalized in our community,” said Regional Councillor Tom Galloway.

The Region will work with Community Justice Initiatives in the coming months to develop the funding agreement for the Centre, including anticipated outcomes to support local residents.

The Region of Waterloo’s 2022 Budget represents a historical investment in equity and equity-based initiatives including in affordable housing, climate action, and more. Learn more about how the Region is Investing in a more equitable future.

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