Collaborative Justice Program: Restorative Justice Ottawa

What Collaborative Justice Program: Restorative Justice Ottawa does

Collaborative Justice Program (CJP), founded in 1998 in Ottawa, is a registered Canadian charity and not-for-profit corporation that delivers restorative justice casework and dialogue services for people affected by crime. It operates post-charge and pre-sentence, facilitating voluntary Circle Conferences that bring together victims, offenders, support persons, community members, and trained facilitators to discuss harm, accountability, and reparation, with resolution agreements subsequently submitted to the court. Services include victim support, offender accountability programs, and indirect communication options such as letter writing or videotaped interviews, delivered free of charge in English and French under the jurisdiction of the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, and the federal Department of National Defence.

The organization is funded through a combination of recurring project-based grants from federal and provincial ministries, foundation grants (Ottawa Community Foundation, Ontario Trillium Foundation, McLean Foundation, F.K. Morrow Foundation, and others), charitable donations, membership fees, and an in-kind contribution from the Ottawa Crown Attorney's Office. It has no software product, no AI components, and no commercial distribution; intake flows exclusively via justice-system referrals (judges, Crown attorneys, defence lawyers, police, probation officers) or direct individual contact. Its core differentiation is its 27-year operational history embedded in the Ottawa Provincial Courthouse, its trauma-informed trained caseworker staff, and a board populated by senior criminal lawyers, retired judges, and former senior public prosecutors.

CJP operates from a single office at the Ottawa Provincial Courthouse (161 Elgin Street) with a small team of approximately three to five paid staff including the Executive Director and caseworkers plus a contracted fundraising consultant. Leadership transitioned in 2025 when Amber Montgomery, a caseworker since 2006, succeeded founding-era Executive Director Kimberly Mann. Recent strategic activity has focused on diversifying revenue away from government grants, expanding the eligible population to young adults aged 18-25 and to Canadian Armed Forces sexual misconduct cases, and rebuilding post-COVID capacity through short-term foundation grants.

Name

Collaborative Justice Program: Restorative Justice Ottawa

Legal name

Collaborative Justice Program

Website

https://collaborativejustice.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Collaborative Justice Program is an Ottawa-based registered charity founded in 1998 that delivers voluntary, confidential restorative justice Circle Conferences and victim-offender dialogue services for adults, youth, and young adults involved in criminal cases, funded by government grants, foundations, and donations, and serving victims, offenders, and the Ottawa community at no cost.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Restorative Justice Services

NAICS

Other Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922190), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative Dispute Resolution & Restorative Justice Programs (BPAIAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Restorative Practices, Conflict Resolution & Discipline Alternatives (EDAKAMAG)

Keywords

• Restorative justice services
• Victim-offender mediation
• Circle conference facilitation
• Community-based justice
• Criminal case resolution

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Project-Based Funding: Ongoing project-based funding from federal and provincial government ministries including Ministry of Children, Community & Social Services, Ministry of the Attorney General, Department of National Defence, and Community Services Recovery Fund
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from charitable foundations including Ottawa Community Foundation, McLean Foundation, Ontario Trillium Foundation, F.K. Morrow Foundation, Sisters of Providence, and Samuel Rogers Memorial Trust
3. Donations and Membership Fees: Charitable donations from individuals and organizations, T-shirt sales at $25 each, and membership fees that provide tax receipts
4. In-Kind Contributions: Ottawa Crown Attorney's Office provides ongoing in-kind support essential to program sustainability

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Collaborative Justice Program (CJP) delivers voluntary, confidential restorative justice casework and dialogue services in Ottawa. It facilitates Circle Conferences between victims, offenders, support persons, and community members, supports victim-offender communication (in-person, letter writing, or videotaped interviews), and develops resolution agreements submitted to court for sentencing consideration. Services are free, bilingual (English/French), and offered to both youth and adults referred through the criminal justice system.

Product overview

The Collaborative Justice Program (CJP) is a restorative justice service organization operating in Ottawa since 1998. It is not a software product company but rather a community-based program that facilitates voluntary, confidential restorative justice processes within the criminal justice system. The core offerings include Circle Conferences (facilitated victim-offender dialogues), Resolution Agreements (court-submitted reparation plans), individual victim support services, and offender accountability programs. Additional services include communication facilitation (letters, verbal exchanges, videotaped interviews), membership opportunities, charitable donations, and branded merchandise sales. All services are provided in both English and French.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Collaborative Justice Program (CJP) Restorative Justice Service A voluntary, confidential restorative justice service that facilitates dialogue between victims, offenders, and community members to achieve healing, accountability, and reintegration within the criminal justice system.
• Circle Conferences Facilitated meetings that bring together victims, offenders, their support people, community members, and trained facilitators to engage in restorative dialogue, develop resolution agreements, and promote healing.
• Resolution Agreements Voluntary agreements developed collaboratively between victims and offenders that outline steps for repair, restitution, and rehabilitation. These agreements are submitted to court for consideration at sentencing.
• Victim Support Services Individual support for crime victims including information about the criminal justice process, needs identification, communication facilitation with offenders, and referrals to community resources.
• Offender Accountability Program Caseworker-guided process helping offenders take responsibility for their actions, address root causes of criminal behavior, and work toward reparation with victims.
• Communication Facilitation Services Options for indirect communication between victims and offenders including verbal exchange through caseworkers, letter writing, and videotaped interviews when in-person meetings are not desired.
• Membership Program Organization membership offering voting rights at Annual General Meetings, eligibility for Board of Directors positions, and charitable tax receipts for membership fees.
• Charitable Donation / Fundraising Charitable donation acceptance through the Zeffy platform enabling community members to support CJP's restorative justice work as a registered charity.
• CJP Branded T-Shirts Branded t-shirts sold at $25 per shirt to support CJP's fundraising efforts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Program participants report finding peace, forgiveness, and closure through the process
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and historical.

• Barristers for a Better BytownminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFederal charity raising funds and working with community partners to improve quality of life in Ottawa neighborhoods since 2016. Made generous donation to CJP.
• Ottawa Police Service Victims UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey community partnership enhancing referral pathways and coordinated trauma-informed responses for people impacted by harm.
• Victim Witness Assistance ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral pathway partnership for victims involved in criminal cases, expanding access to restorative options.
• Ottawa Victim ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing coordinated trauma-informed responses and expanding access to restorative justice options.
• Ottawa Rape Crisis CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting expanded engagement in sexual violence space with coordinated, trauma-informed responses.
• Probation ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJustice sector partnership enhancing referral pathways for restorative justice options.
• Defence Counsel Association of Ottawa-CarletoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual conference engagement increasing awareness of restorative options and strengthening collaboration with defence counsel.
• Carleton University School of Social WorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraduate social work students conduct program evaluations (Collaborative Justice and Healing study) providing research insights.
• Church Council on Justice and Corrections (CCJC)historicalStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational ecumenical bilingual charity that originally sponsored CJP as demonstration project at Ottawa courthouse in 1998.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Aboriginal Legal Services Toronto: Aboriginal Legal Services operates the Community Council on Holistic Justice (a circle-based restorative justice diversion program) and Indigenous court worker programs. It is an emerging peer using similar circle-based methodology but serving Indigenous communities specifically in the Toronto region.
• National Centre for Restorative Justice (Australia): Australia's National Centre for Restorative Justice develops practitioner training, policy advice, and program design for restorative justice. It is an emerging peer in the field with similar casework-adjacent services but operates across multiple Australian jurisdictions rather than a single city.
• Mediation Ottawa: Mediation Ottawa provides community mediation, restorative justice, and conflict resolution services in Ottawa. It is an emerging peer operating in the same geography with overlapping mediation/restorative dialogue methodology but with a broader community-conflict scope rather than a criminal-justice-only focus.

Direct peers

• Ottawa Victim Services: Ottawa Victim Services is a direct CJP partner that provides crisis intervention, court support, and case management for victims of crime in Ottawa. While it does not run Circle Conferences itself, it operates as a complementary peer within the same referral ecosystem, serving overlapping victim populations.
• Church Council on Justice and Corrections: The Church Council on Justice and Corrections is a national ecumenical bilingual charity that originally sponsored CJP as its demonstration project in 1998. It is a direct peer in the Canadian restorative justice ecosystem and continues to operate in correctional reform and restorative practices advocacy.
• Community Justice Initiatives (Kitchener-Waterloo): Community Justice Initiatives is a long-established Ontario-based restorative justice organization offering victim-offender mediation, Circle Conferences, and community conferencing services. It is a direct peer to CJP as both deliver court-referred restorative justice processes in Ontario with comparable Circle methodology, though CJI serves the Kitchener-Waterloo region rather than Ottawa.
• John Howard Society of Ottawa: John Howard Society of Ottawa provides restorative justice and crime prevention services within the Ottawa justice system, including alternative measures programming. It is a direct peer in terms of serving justice-referred clients in Ottawa, though its organizational model is broader (rehabilitation, reintegration, and systemic advocacy) than CJP's narrow focus on restorative dialogue.

Broad incumbents

• Victim Witness Assistance Program (Ontario): The Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General's Victim Witness Assistance Program provides information, assistance, and support to victims and witnesses throughout the criminal court process across Ontario. It is a broad incumbent — a publicly funded program that overlaps with CJP's victim support services and is a primary referral source for CJP cases.

Regional players

• Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa: Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa provides court-referred programs, victim services, and restorative justice programming for women and gender-diverse individuals in conflict with the law. It is a regional peer operating in the same Ottawa justice-referral ecosystem with overlapping casework but a distinct focus on a specific demographic.

Others

• Peacemaking Circles (US/Canadian indigenous context): The International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) provides training and certification in restorative practices including peacemaking circles used by schools, workplaces, and justice systems. It is an adjacent/thematic peer — not a direct service provider in Ottawa — but a methodology and training source whose frameworks overlap with CJP's Circle Conference approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/cjpottawa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/collaborative-justice-program-restorative-justice-ottawa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Collaborative Justice Program: Restorative Justice Ottawa