Posted: 7:00 PM Apr. 18, 2019
In northern Manitoba, the justice system struggles to uphold rights most Canadians would take for granted. Overwhelming poverty, addiction and intergenerational trauma feed into some of the highest violent-crime rates in the country. Court sessions are often snowed under — figuratively and literally — by the task of delivering justice across vast geography with grossly inadequate resources. And systemic racism thrives.
Manitoba spends about $1.5 million annually on transportation for the northern court system
Sheriffs vans are parked outside the provincial court office in Thompson.
Posted: 6:47 PM Apr. 22, 2019
In Manitoba's North, where 15 circuit courts dot the vast and remote geographical area, a single delay costs the province an average of $10,000.
The delays happen all the time and for many reasons: weather that's too cold or too stormy, airplane mechanical issues, a lack of heat or running water in public buildings on the ground. Back-to-back delays have resulted in cases being thrown out of court.
Fewer restorative jail alternatives available to northern Manitobans
The Provincial Building in Thompson is home to northern Manitoba’s justice services, which struggle to uphold rights most Canadians take for granted.
Posted: 7:00 PM Apr. 24, 2019
On the other end of the phone line, from her office in Cross Lake, Louann Flett sighs.
The community restorative-justice worker has heard it all. Amid the catalogue of concerns that crop up over and over again anytime someone mentions Manitoba’s northern justice system, one rises to the top of her list.