Mark Yantzi
Crime can be viewed as more than just breaking the law—crime causes harm to people, relationships and communities. Restorative justice seeks to repair this damage through discussions between the victims and offenders, to address the harms as well as the wrongdoings. Mark Yantzi is the founder and first Executive Director of Community Justice Initiatives (CJI), a non-profit organization known worldwide for having started the first Restorative Justice program.
In the early days of Conrad Grebel University College, Yantzi lived off campus as an associate, and graduated from the University of Waterloo in 1969 with a degree in Sociology. To him, Grebel provided a congenial environment where he could “connect and revise his faith” as he expanded upon his knowledgebase.
While working as a member of the probation office in 1974, Yantzi and fellow probation officer Dave Worth suggested the first successful meeting between young vandals and their victims. Instead of receiving a prison sentence, the teenage offenders apologized and came to a healing resolution, and thus the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) and Restorative Justice movement were born.
The concept of restorative justice is forever evolving. It is growing to improve our society in numerous ways; reducing future harm through recompense of offenders, and transforming people, relationships, and communities for the better. For over 40 years, CJI has successfully applied restorative justice principles to a number of community problems and expanded into areas such as support for survivors of sexual trauma, conflict resolution services for abused elders and other social groups, women in prison, aid for youths returning from custody, and reduction of conflict among family members.
Yantzi hoped that the Restorative Justice movement would spread and share its healing values across the world, and with his help, it has. “In the British justice system, criminal offences are seen as offence against the Queen. Punishment is provided to appropriately punish the wrong doer,” Mark explained. “I was an MCC volunteer at the time for a 2 year term, assigned to write a pre-sentence to the Judge about a certain case. I suggested there could be some therapeutic value in having these 2 offenders meet their victims and make compensation.”
