Program helping young Londoners stay out of jail finds dedicated space at Joan's Place

A provincial program helping at-risk young adults navigate Ontario's criminal justice system, and connecting them with supports to keep them out of it, has found a more permanent home in downtown London.

The London Justice Centre aims to move court proceedings for young adults 18 to 24 out of the court house, and into a facility which combines justice with supports, including addiction services, family counselling, and life-skills training.

The first of its kind in the province, London's justice centre opened in September 2020, and since then has operated out of a temporary location in Youth Opportunities Unlimited's (YOU) downtown headquarters.

On Friday, the non-profit's outgoing CEO Steve Cordes was among those on hand for the unveiling of the centre's new, dedicated space in YOU's Joan's Place building across the street — something he says has been a long time coming.

"When we look at youth that are involved in the justice system, it is typically an austere, intimidating, anxiety-provoking experience all the way through. It creates a spiral for people ... and they find themselves in a hole," said Cordes.

The justice centre is all about helping those young offenders avoid that downward spiral to begin with, and in his words, "spiral up." and get their life back on track.

"You know you're going to be held accountable if you're found guilty of an offence, but there's a system to help ensure you're not in this spot again," he said.

"I love that we're able to offer the employment programs, housing programs, all the other supports that continue to help people spiral back up."

Among those who spoke at the Joan's Place announcement were two young women who saw the justice centre at work first hand.

"I was brought to the justice centre, and I didn't know what to expect. I was really scared, because I honestly thought I had to go down to the big courthouse," said Marla Williams.

When she first met an official at the justice centre during her intake, she says she was welcomed with open arms, and could explain her story and "everything that I had going for me in my life."

"I think that made a difference in who I am today," she said, adding she's now working and is back in school.

Doug Downey, Ontario's attorney general, and Michael Tibollo, its associate attorney general, also appeared before the microphone, along with Sharon Nicklas, the chief justice of the Ontario Court of Justice, and London Police Chief Thai Truong.

More than 2,400 cases involving young adults have been processed through the London Justice Centre since 2020, Tibollo said, adding that in 2023, most were completed in under 15 weeks — about three months faster than similar cases at London's courthouse.

"The quicker we can deal with issues, the better the outcome is going to be," he said. The centre had also connected 100 per cent of its participants with supports, including for employment, addiction, and mental health, he said.

"Those connections, if they're not made, is why people come through a revolving door and repeat processes. It is critical that continuum of care is created, maintained and included in anything we do."

The new dedicated space will also feature a fully-equipped Ontario Court of Justice courtroom, as opposed to the virtual-only proceedings that occurred in the temporary space across the street.

It's not entirely clear what offences would come before the justice centre courtroom, but it's likely that more serious matters, such as manslaughter and murder, would still be heard at London's courthouse. Cases involving minors would also still be heard there.

"They may have a record, likely a modest record, and need wraparound services to pull them into a more pro-social way of living," said Nicklas, speaking with CBC News.

Three other justice centres are operational in Ontario, including two in Toronto, and one in Kenora, which opened in 2023. Each one is tailored to meet the specific needs of those particular communities, Nicklas said.

"For example, in Kenora, it's young persons that are in the youth criminal justice system, and they deal with every type of charge there. It's a justice centre that's focused in collaboration with the Indigenous community there," she said.

"What we've seen with this type of model is a reduction in the number of those people coming back into the criminal justice system."