The province’s Minister of Justice and Public Safety is encouraged by the continued expansion of restorative justice practices in the province.

The concept encourages discussion between victims of crime, the community and the offender when a crime is committed. Justice Minister John Hogan says it’s widely accepted that not all crimes require jail time, and restorative justice is an alternative to incarceration and the concept of punishment.

The provincial government announced $600,000 in funding over three years for Relationships First, Restorative Justice Education Consortium NL. Hogan says the funding will allow for the hiring of two restorative justice coordinators, one for the education system and the other in the justice system.

He says the coordinators will work with Indigenous leaders to establish a more restorative approach “more firmly” in the province.