'Sit in this courtroom if you want to feel good about the world': Community court marks 1-year anniversary
Monthly Calgary court sees 450 participants and over 2,000 withdrawn bylaw tickets
By any measure of success, Calgary's community court is thriving on its one-year anniversary, with the program seeing dozens of graduates and thousands of withdrawn bylaw tickets.
But most importantly, there are now more than 400 people who are getting the help they need.
"They feel and they know that they're being listened to," says Mathieu St-Germain, one of four justices of the peace who preside over the community court.
The diversion-style court connects vulnerable Calgarians facing bylaw tickets with supports and services. When they "graduate" the program, their tickets and fines are withdrawn.
'One of the best things'
The concept is: get help, unlock more help.
It's still court, but the focus here is not on sentencing and punishment.
"It's honestly one of the best things I've ever been a part of," says supervising Justice of the Peace Lisa Henderson.
"I am so proud of something we have actually done that makes a difference."
Last June, the City of Calgary partnered up with Calgary Legal Guidance (CLG). They used one of the bylaw courtrooms and asked officers to set a specific court date when they were handing out bylaw tickets to people who clearly needed a leg up.
CLG case managers are on site, connecting people with agencies based on self-identified needs.
From 17 to 100+
On the first day of community court, 17 people showed up.
"We thought, if they saw something constructive out of that day; if they walked out of here with an ID that would help them open a bank account … an appointment for addictions counselling, or even to help with their housing applications, maybe the word would get out that positive things can happen if you go to the courthouse," says Colleen Sinclair, a manager in the City of Calgary's law department.
It worked.
By July, Courtroom 907 saw double the number of community court attendees, and by January, more than a hundred people were showing up on the last Tuesday of every month.
"We couldn't be more thrilled," says Sinclair. "Come and sit in this courtroom if you want to feel good about the world."
'Huge wins'
At community court, baby steps can turn into big, life-changing developments.
"For an individual, just coming to court might be success," says Sgt. Chris Warren, with Calgary Police Service's diversion team.
"But I think, like we heard in there today, there's people who are graduating that are now able to maintain jobs, they're able to maintain housing, they're able to maintain sobriety. Those are huge wins."
Last year, Warren says the Calgary Police Service told its downtown officers they could direct "high system users" to community court.
'Can you give me a ticket?'
Soon, there was a remarkable shift in the dynamic between officers and those committing poverty-based crimes.
"We've had [people] approach our officers and ask for a ticket or something that could get them to court because that's where they know they can get those supports," said Warren.
Sinclair says the transit officers have noticed the same thing.
"Instead of a transit peace officer approaching someone on a platform and that person recoils or walks away or yells and swears at them, they're saying 'can you give me a ticket to community court?'"
'It's good here'
St-Germain says the "sheer volume" of people showing up is one of the measures of success.
"It's been amazing, it's been uplifting to see the success stories of highly vulnerable individuals and to hear their stories. We have had quite a bit of success stories."
A woman named Lisa showed up at community court on Tuesday. "It's my first time," she said. "I don't like court."
From a bench down the hall, another woman piped up: "Don't worry, it's good here."
2,000 tickets withdrawn
A few minutes later, inside the courtroom, a man named Patrick saw his bylaw tickets and fines withdrawn because he secured employment and stable housing after connecting with community court's non-profit partners.
Lisa Stebbins, executive director of Calgary Legal Guidance, estimates that, to date, more than 2,000 bylaw tickets and fines have been withdrawn.
Stebbins says 450 participants have come through the community court doors with more than 70 graduates.
"It's really helped increase their trust in the legal system," says Stebbins. "They're feeling heard and respected in the program."
CLG received some pilot funding but "the demand has far surpassed" the original programming predictions, according to Stebbins.
Initial estimates were that the court would see about 50 people per month. That number is now more than double those projections.
Stebbins says the goal is to move to a weekly model. They also want to bring in more partner agencies to support program participants.
Snacks and juice
This Tuesday, like every monthly community court date, the south hallway of the ninth floor is humming with activity. There are people everywhere, every seat is taken and people are sitting on the floor.
There are juice boxes, snacks and dozens of helpers — law students representing participants and case managers with Calgary Legal Guidance connecting them with various agencies.
Down the hall non-profit workers and lawyers intake community court participants.
City of Calgary lawyer Ben Leung explains the program while touring around an interested police commission member.
'I'll do the program'
It's a mix of business and excitement over the one-year anniversary with cake awaiting the end of the morning session.
Court gets underway just before 10 a.m.
A man named Pat appears before the justice of the peace.
Leung explains Pat's options.
Go to trial, plead guilty, or, as Leung explains, "you identify your needs, we match you with programs; housing, income support, clothing, transportation, mental health, physical health."
"I'll do the program," says Pat.
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