City seeking AMM support for bail program expansion

The City of Brandon and John Howard Society of Brandon are encouraging the province to expand a bail program that helps accused offenders who are deemed low and medium risk.

The Bail Navigator Program currently operates only in Winnipeg. It supports eligible bail applicants and provides them with resources to help ensure they follow rules set out for them in their bail plan.

“It’s going to show this individual that we care about them, that we’re willing to invest in them, and that we want the best outcome for them,” John Howard Society of Brandon executive director Ross Robinson said about the program on Monday.

Robinson said the program helps support people who have few resources of their own — and it makes a difference.

“We’re just not tossing them to the wolves of the criminal justice system. It’s just, ‘We care for you. We know you need some help. We’re going to give you that help,’” he said.

Brandon Coun. Bruce Luebke (Ward 6) introduced a resolution at council last week for the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, requesting the province expand the program to Brandon and other centres in the province.

The resolution, which council approved, will be debated at the regional AMM meeting in Melita next month. If adopted at that conference and the fall convention, the AMM would be tasked with lobbying the government for the expansion.

Under the program, a staff member helps participants by referring them to other services, reminding them of court dates or bail rules, and giving regular check-ins, a city council report states.

The program also frees up resources at correctional facilities where people are on remand awaiting court appearances.

While the Brandon resolution was presented at council last week, Robinson said it was important for him to speak to council members during the meeting so they understand the importance of the program.

The provincial government introduced the program in Winnipeg in May 2023, with 25 men participating through the John Howard Society and 25 women though the Elizabeth Fry Society.

Winnipeg’s John Howard Society now has between 10 and 20 participants at a time. The Sun was unable to reach the bail official with the Elizabeth Fry Society for details on its current system.

Aiden Enns, the executive director of the John Howard Society of Manitoba, said there has “definitely” been positive movement for accused people since the program launched.

“The people really benefit from the support of the bail navigator. It helps them stabilize. They know someone cares about them as they are released,” Enns said.

“We do some extra leg work, checking out to see where they are, if they’re doing well in the community and providing support as they need it, and it’s a welcome service that we provide.”

The program for the John Howard Society is primarily funded by the provincial government, Enns said, with supplemental costs coming from his organization.

The provincial government provides $73,000 per year to the John Howard Society for the program, a government spokesperson said. Enns declined to say how much more money the non-profit puts in.

Enns said participants in the program are referred by lawyers and reviewed by the single full-time staff member assigned to the program.

Eligible people include those accused of less severe offences, including property, mischief or driving-related offences. It could also include limited violent or domestic charges, the John Howard Society of Manitoba website says.

Repeat offenders, gang members and those accused of more severe offences — including arson, sexual assault and weapons use — are not eligible.

People also must have a verifiable address and a consistent way of communicating, including a phone number, email address or a messaging app.

Enns said the Winnipeg Remand Centre is overcrowded, making the Bail Navigator Program important for the province to fund.

“That’s the big benefit, because then it’s a cost savings for the province as well, because then they don’t have to house the individual,” Enns said. “It’s also a comfort factor. The fewer people in remand, the less crowded it is.”

He added that the program needs to be expanded.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe wasn’t available for an interview on Monday.

In a statement, Wiebe said safety is the NDP government’s top priority.

“One of the first things we did was implement our five-point bail plan, to ensure that our Crown attorneys and police have the support and resources to keep our communities safe,” he said. “When people are out on bail, Manitobans expect that they have appropriate conditions to keep the community safe, and that they are abiding by those conditions.”

Wiebe did not reference the Bail Navigator Program in the statement.

He said the province hasn’t received a formal proposal from the city or AMM, but is happy to improve public safety.

Luebke said the program makes a lot of sense for low- and medium-risk people who might not completely understand what they have to do while in the justice system.

“It’s these people that in some way have broken the law, but maybe not a serious crime — you don’t want to compound their issues by going through the system of bail, where they maybe don’t fully understand how the system works, or need some assistance in navigating the system,” Luebke told the Sun on Monday.

He said it’s a way to give people more “humane assistance.”

“I’m surprised that it’s not something the province had looked at expanding already,” he said.

The John Howard Society of Brandon would likely do a good job of running a local program, Luebke said, suggesting the province could also set the program up with one or more Indigenous organizations to help Indigenous people navigate the bail system.

Luebke said he feels “comfortable and confident” that municipalities will support the motion at the regional and fall meetings.

A majority of resolutions are typically passed at regional and fall meetings every year, an AMM official told the Sun last week.

» alambert@brandonsun.com