50 years later: Reckless rampage in Elmira, Ont., leads to restorative justice movement
This year marks the 50th anniversary of a drunken vandalism spree in Elmira, Ont. that changed the Canadian justice system forever.
Russell Kelly, who is now 67-years-old, sat down with CTV News Kitchener at his home on Tuesday to reflect on the transformative night in 1974.
He read a passage from his book titled “Scoundrel to Scholar,” recalling a visit with a friend.
“Of course, the real reason for the visit was to drink ourselves into a stupor,” Kelly said, reading a line from the novel.
At the time, he was 18 years old and turned to drugs and alcohol after losing both of his parents.
“If you don’t deal with that grief, it’s like burying a bomb,” he said.
That bomb eventually went off.
The two teenagers went on a reckless rampage though Elmira.
“Slashed 22 car tires, smashed front windows of homes, damaged a gazebo, smashed windows of cars,” said Kelly.
The teens were arrested, but instead of going to jail, a forward-thinking parole officer suggested a different punishment. He thought it would be beneficial to have the offenders meet their victims, apologize, and compensate them for any losses. The judge accepted that recommendation, so that’s exactly what the pair did.
“We accepted responsibility for what we had done. And now we’re holding ourselves accountable and we want to repair the harm,” said Kelly.
Now known as The Elmira Case, it became the first example of restorative justice used in the Canadian legal system. It focuses on repairing the harm done by the crime, rather than punishing the offender, which is now used in various forms around the world.
“In the event that it’s a first-time offense, which often it is, then it saves a person from having a criminal record going forward,” said Chris Cowie, executive director of Community Justice Initiatives (CJI).
That’s if all sides are satisfied with the process and outcome. There is a chance a judge may not be pleased with the response from the parties involved, and an offender could still face more serious consequences.
While Indigenous cultures have long used similar conflict resolution practices, The Elmira Case broke ground.
“What was unique about this was that it was actually court sanctioned,” Cowie said.
Although there have been positive outcomes from restorative justice, which Community Justice Initiatives has seen first-hand with their community involvement, the organization says there is more work to be done.
“There’s an inordinate number of people who are of colour and Indigenous who end up in our justice system,” said Cowie. “And over the first many years of CJI doing this kind of work, realized that most referrals that come our way look very much like what Russ and his friend did, namely two young white guys.”
They have been focused on adapting their program to be better at bringing offenders and victims together from all communities.
"CJI believes that the work of grassroots, BIPOC-led organizations need to be encouraged and empowered to meet the needs of their respective communities," Cowie said.
Kelly is advocating for the same thing. He wants to see people given the same chance he was.
“There can be healing on both sides.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian former Olympic snowboarder wanted in Ontario double homicide: DOJ
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 'innocent' couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Ontario school board trustees under fire for $100K religious art purchase on Italy trip
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A photographer snorkeled for hours to take this picture
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Tobacco giants would pay out $32.5 billion to provinces, smokers in proposed deal
Three tobacco giants are proposing to pay close to $25 billion to provinces and territories and more than $4 billion to some 100,000 Quebec smokers and their loved ones as part of a corporate restructuring process triggered by a long-running legal battle.
More Trudeau cabinet ministers not running for re-election, sources say shuffle expected soon
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell CTV News at least one other, Marie-Claude Bibeau, doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
Robert Pickton's handwritten book seized after his death in hopes of uncovering new evidence
A handwritten book was seized from B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton's prison cell following his death earlier this year, raising hopes of uncovering new evidence in a series of unprosecuted murders.
Former members of One Direction say they're 'completely devastated' by Liam Payne's death
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Israel says it has killed top Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces in Gaza killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel's most wanted man.
Indian government employee charged in foiled murder-for-hire plot in New York City
The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Thursday against an Indian government employee in connection with a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.