Regional prosecution teams to assist with repeat offender initiative
The BC Prosecution Service (BCPS) is rolling out five dedicated regional prosecution teams, including in the Interior, to support the Repeat Violent Offender Intervention Initiative (ReVOII).
Team members will transition into their new assignments through April and will start full operations May 1, 2023, after receiving coordinated and focused training.
The ReVOII teams, consisting of 21 dedicated Crown Counsel, along with dedicated professional staff, will provide criminal law advice, and independent prosecutorial support and services in conjunction with 12 ReVOII community hubs established under the province’s Safer Communities Action plan.
Dedicated ReVOII prosecutors will operate in each of the five BCPS regions (Northern, Interior, Fraser, Vancouver, and Vancouver Island).
Each regional team will have members who live and work in the communities in the region, are familiar with local issues and concerns, and have established working relationships with local police officers and corrections staff.
“The work of the dedicated Crown Counsel teams will involve collaboration and improved information sharing with probation officers, correctional supervisors, and police agencies throughout the province,” Dan McLaughlin Communications Counsel, said. “This collaboration will be undertaken in a manner that maintains and conforms with the constitutional requirement of prosecutorial independence.”
BCPS noted the participation of ReVOII will not diminish its organizational commitment to addressing overrepresentation of Indigenous persons in the criminal justice system, as victims, accused, and offenders.
This is part of a broader $25-million, three year Safer Communities Action Plan announced in mid-March which also includes;
- four full-time BC Corrections officials to develop, co-ordinate and evaluate the program;
- nine correctional supervisors;
- nine probation officers based in correctional centres for enhanced release planning; and
- 12 dedicated probation officers based in community corrections offices to support the teams.
The BCPS is nearing completion of an extensive hiring process to fill vacancies created by the assignment of dedicated Crown Counsel to the ReVOII teams.