Province partners in Indigenous youth justice support program

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This article was published 03/10/2022 (1069 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba government and Marymound Inc. have announced a social impact bond seeking to reduce the number of Indigenous youth in the justice system.

The three-year program will enable the youth and family social services organization to provide culturally-appropriate wrap-around supports to at least 45 youth (30 in Winnipeg, 15 in Thompson), with a goal of reduce recidivism among those in custody and on probation, Premier Heather Stefanson said at a news conference Monday.

“Today’s announcement supports our ongoing commitment to help make our communities safe and create a bright future for all Manitobans,” she said in Winnipeg, outside the Scotia Street campus of Marymound, which provides services for vulnerable youth, including crisis stabilization, assessment and treatment programs, group homes, treatment foster care, clinical services and cultural healing services.

The Zaagiwe Oshinawe Inaakonigewin (Ojibwa for to “love (the) youth (in) justice”) program announced Monday will be funded through a new social impact bond, operated by Marymound with the support of nine investors including the Reseau Compassion Network, Northpine Foundation, Laidlaw Foundation, Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada, Bealight Foundation, and Loretto Sisters (Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary) Canada.

The return on investment is based on the reduction of days in custody for Indigenous youth. If outcomes are met or exceeded, Marymound Inc. will receive $2.25 million from the Manitoba government.

Marymound executive director Nancy Parker said Indigenous elders were involved in establishing the program “with robust cultural healing approaches.”

It’s a “reconciled healing model” that combines Indigenous wisdom and healing practices together with Western modes of treatment to support a holistic approach to wellness and healing, Parker said.

“Each youth will have a high-fidelity, wrap-around team developed of family, friends people involved in their services,” she said.

Each will participant have a healing plan that’s “highly individualized,” with activities that resonate with them, whether it’s ceremonies, canoeing, basketball, a leadership program or therapy to repair neurodevelopmental trauma from abuse or neglect.

The idea is to use Indigenous knowledge to help address the root causes of crime, connect youth to their culture and community, and help foster a more positive Indigenous identity, project proponents said.

“I am confident that this program will have a positive impact on connecting youth to their culture, community, and help foster a more positive Indigenous identity and help reduce involvement in the justice system,” said the premier, who was joined at the announcement Monday by Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen.

“If doing time becomes wasted time, it ultimately becomes repeat time,” Goertzen said. “We need to ensure that when it comes to recidivism, that we can reduce it with support.”

The program helps the youth when they’re transitioning out of the justice system into their community to ensure they have the support they need there, he added. “Ultimately, that’s how young people involved in the justice system find success.”

Social impact bonds are designed to bring together government, the private sector, not-for-profits and other stakeholders to deliver new kinds of social programs with measurable goals and less financial risk. Private investor investors initially fund the programs and are then repaid if social outcomes and cost savings are realized.

“It’s a lot of work,” Parker said.

It’s not something Marymound has experience with, but it sees the benefit in connecting with those interested in social impact funding and hopes there may be future funding possibilities, she added.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca