Portage BC’s Director of Corporate Development appointed to Vancouver’s DCC Advisory Council
27-janv.-2012Portage BC’s Director of Corporate Development appointed to Vancouver’s Downtown Community Court Advisory Council
Jae Kim, Director of Corporate Development of Portage BC, has been appointed by the judges of Vancouver’s Downtown Community Court (DCC) to serve on its Advisory Council.
Vancouver’s Downtown Community Court is a first of its kind in Canada, using a problem-solving approach to addressing offenders’ particular needs as well as the underlying causes of their criminal behaviour. Many offenders in downtown Vancouver suffer from mental illness, drug addiction, or both, and are repeat offenders. They are often homeless or lacking in job skills and social supports. The DCC is a partnership of justice, social, and health care services that takes a holistic and comprehensive approach towards the treatment as well as the sentencing of offenders. Given that more than fifty percent of the offenders that the Court interfaces with suffer from a severe addiction, treatment is often part of the offender’s sentencing, when appropriate.
The Advisory Council assists the DCC by providing advice on relevant matters of concern, as related to the criminal justice system and the community court. Ms. Kim’s appointment to the Advisory Council is a great opportunity for Portage to learn more about the addiction epidemic in certain parts of Vancouver and to deliberate with other stakeholders over possible responses and solutions. It is also a great forum to create more awareness about Portage’s drug rehabilitation centre for youth in Keremeos.
