Advocates disagree on proposed community court

Edmontonians shared a range of views on a proposed community court program aiming to connect people to supports when they get tickets for breaking bylaws as an alternative to prosecution. The program would cost about $1.17 million annually, which includes $510,000 for a third-party agency to provide legal advice and other social support services. Council will make a decision on whether to move forward with the community court during its four-year budget deliberations beginning in late November.

Robert Philp, a retired criminal court judge who was involved in the early days of the drug treatment court, said vulnerable people repeatedly come into contact with municipal law enforcement because they're facing a combination of poverty, addiction, and mental health challenges. "Community court provides an opportunity to interrupt that cycle," Philp said. However, for the program to be successful, it needs adequate funding, he said. "If Edmonton chooses to establish a community court, do not create it on paper and then deny it the resources required to succeed. An underfunded community court will have difficulty providing the legal representation, case management, coordination, and follow-through that make the model work."

Meanwhile, Beth Capper of 4B Harm Reduction Society told councillors they should focus on reducing the harms associated with bylaw fines instead of allocating budget to a community court program. She also suggested that the city's actions could inadvertently make things worse by sending people to social services that are underfunded and overcapacity. "This money, I believe, would be better spent on the actual services that are the driver behind bylaw infractions in the first place," Capper said. "Sending people who are in need of services through a court process to connect them to services feels like a very roundabout way to support people."