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Tuesday April 28 2015 3 JUSTICE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Come TO MONSTER RECfor INOVATIVE PRODUCTS and SUPERIOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. 926 MACKENZIE HIGHWAY HAY RIVER NT Phone 867-874-2771 Toll Free 1-866-327-0717 www.monsterrec.com Hay River launches domestic violence treatment court Program provides restorative justice pathway for low-risk offenders By DALI CARMICHAEL OffendersofdomesticviolencecrimesinHay Riverandthesurroundingareanowhaveanalter- nativetotheterritorialcourtsystemshouldthey choose to claim responsibility for their actions. The Domestic Violence Treatment Option DVTOCourtstartedoperatinginthecommu- nity-aswellasEnterpriseandtheKatlodeeche FirstNation-asofMondaywithtwonameslisted on its rst docket. The new alternative court which will hold sessions every three weeks is available to those agged as low-risk offenders andaimstotreatthe symptomsthat leadtocy- clicaldomesticviolencewithlong-termresults. Ihavenearly20yearsdoingthisandthisis oneofthebestdevelopmentsIveseenasfaras dealingwithdomesticviolencesaidHayRiver criminal defence lawyer Michael Hansen. It seeks to enable people and give them the op- portunity to avoid the mistakes that theyve made in the past because they cant change their past but they can change their future. Once in DVTO clients are expected to en- roll in the Planning Action Responsibly To- ward Non-Violent Empowered Relationships PARTNER program. Theapproachisbasedonhavinggroupses- sionssaidChiefJudgeChristineGagnon.The participantslearnfromtheirexchangewithother participants and it builds strength. Over the course of ve weeks the offenders willattendweeklysessionslasting2.5hourseach covering eight modules and four main topics. Therstthemeisdeningdomesticviolence and all its forms looking at how it applies to participants lives said Dawn Anderson a di- rectorwiththeJusticedepartmentwhohelped developPARTNER.Otherareascoveredinclude personalchoicethecausesofviolenceandemo- tional response. Every step in the program is gearedtowardtheindividualleavingtheprogram with the self-control that they need to change. Once initiated Fort Smith probation of- cer Stella Walterhouse will lead the program. Three individuals from correctional services have also been trained to deliver PARTNER along with four mental health and addictions counsellors. These facilitators will be paired together to allow multiple staggered sessions to take place simultaneously. TobeconsideredforDVTOtheoffendermust takeresponsibilityforhisorhercrimeandplead guilty. A ltering process helps to determine who ends up in this course of treatment. First theRCMP-asfrontlineworkerslayingdomestic violence charges - use their discretion to deter- mine whether the offender should be in DVTO orterritorialcourt.Shouldthecaseheadtoter- ritorialcourttheCrowncanadviseatransferto thealternativecourtascanthedefencelawyer and the judge hearing the case. Once in the treatment stream the offender must go through a screening process run by probationserviceswheretheycompleteaques- tionnaire as well as an assessment conducted using a spousal abuse risk assessment tool. There is a full global assessment thats done oneachoftheoffenderssaidCindyCaudronre- gionalmanagerofprobationservices.Thescreen- ing will take into account factors like previous criminalbehaviourandsubstanceabuseissues. Were not just focusing on domestic violence andnotpayingattentiontoalltheotherfactors. Since 2011 Yellowknife has piloted seven PARTNER sessions - ve in Yellowknife and two in Behchoko. Of 39 clients 37 have com- pleted the program. UnlikeinYellowknifetheHayRiverprogram will accept referrals from community counsel- lors working with clients who have committed not just physical but emotional nancial and psychologicalformsofdomesticviolence.They will go through a similar screening process. Should the client fail to complete any part of the program or reoffend while attending it their case will be moved to territorial court. Alternatively upon successful completion of the program there is a chance the clients case could be fast-tracked through the court system and their sentence time reduced. To those who view DVTO as a literal get out of jail free card Hansen adamantly stated the program requires tremendous dedication. Thisisntaneasywayouttheeasywayisjust togoanddoyourtimehesaid.Theresgoingto bealotofworkthepersonwillhavetocommitto. Hay River was chosen as the rst commu- nity for the programs expansion because of its easy access to available program resources and its relatively large population. DependingonHayRiverssuccesswithDVTO organizershopetoexpandtheprogramfurther intotheterritorythoughnoofcialplanshave been announced as of yet. There is a need for this type of program everywhere not just in the North not just in Canada Hansen said. Domestic violence is all too common an occurrence throughout the world and we cant have a cookie-cutter approach we have to develop programs that adapt and address the unique circumstances of each community. PhotoDaliCarmichael Suspicious package seized at Yellowknife courthouse By MEAGAN WOHLBERG Yellowknifes courthouse was on lockdown Thursday afternoon as RCMP and emergency responders had to evacuate and cordon off the building to investigate a suspicious package. The re departments full hazmat team was deployedatthelocationalongwithEMSstaff police and other emergency responders be- tween approximately 230 and 530 p.m. after RCMP received a report of a suspicious pack- age received at an ofce within the building. According to RCMP it raised alarms due to similar events recently taking place in other courthouses across the country. In light of recent occurrences of suspicious packagesbeingfoundatsixcourthousesinMan- itoba last week employees in Yellowknife were asked to be aware and to report any unusual packagestoauthoritiessaidtheRCMPsmedia liaisonCst.ElenoreSturko.Atthistimeitisun- known if this package is in any way related to other investigations across the country. No injuries were reported in connection with the incident. The employees who re- ceived the package did not open it but those in direct or indirect contact were isolated and screened as a precaution with Stanton Ter- ritorial Hospital put on alert. Anareaaroundthebuildingwastapedoffby policeascrewspreparedforapossibleemergency. As of Friday afternoon RCMP were condent the building and surrounding area were safe. Nodetailshavebeenreleasedaboutthecon- tentsofthesuspiciouspackagewhichwasseized at the court building and has been sent for lab analysis.Theeventremainsunderinvestigation. PhotoMeaganWohlberg Emergency responders seize a suspicious package at Yellowknifes courthouse Thursday. Criminal defence lawyer Michael Hansen left Chief Judge Christine Gagnon Justice depart- ment director and PARTNER developer Dawn Anderson and regional manager of probation services in Hay River Cindy Caudron give a brieng on the new Domestic Violence Treatment Option DVTO Court now operational in Hay River.