Restorative Justice Community Champion: Rob Parker
‘Across the table from each other’
Rob Parker has been the regional Crown prosecutor in Moose Jaw for seven years, and recently celebrated his 27th year in the prosecutor’s office. Originally from Moose Jaw, Rob studied English and received his Juris Doctor from the University of Saskatchewan. Called to the bar in 1993, Rob worked in a private practice until the opportunity came up to work in his hometown.
Rob goes out of his way to make sure clients have access to the Alternative Measures and Extrajudicial Sanctions programs. He makes time to go over complex files, thinks outside the box and is dedicated to restorative justice.
Tell us about your work, Rob.
I am one of three prosecutor’s who takes files from police and determines which ones should go forward through the court process and which should go through the alternative measures and judicial sanctions programs. I identify individuals with circumstances who are best fit to engage with one of the mechanisms of restorative justice. My colleagues and I perform a gatekeeper function for who is approved for restorative justice programs.
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
I honestly think that I have the ability to make a difference in peoples’ lives. The function of being a prosecutor involves not only making a difference for victims, it means making a different for society as a whole, and in all circumstances, we also have an obligation to look out for the best interests of those charged with criminal offences.
One of the wonderful things about the restorative justice process is that it empowers victims more than going through the court process. I also believe there’s an increased degree of personal responsibility taken on by people charged with offences. They have to do things themselves and acknowledge what they’ve done; they don’t simply have a lawyer coming to court who pleas guilty for them.
Generally speaking, a good day is a day when I’ve been able to make a difference in somebody’s else’s life. Again, that can include someone charged with an offence.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I am an active recreational tennis player and have recently completed a three-year term as president of Tennis Saskatchewan. I was also the Sask representative on Tennis Canada’s Council of Provinces and Territories.
What do you want your community to know about restorative justice work?
It’s important. Several times a month I have conversations with victims who are sometimes hesitant about restorative justice initiatives, but the fact is, they can be very satisfying and rewarding. Here in Moose Jaw, we’ve been well served by John Howard Society who always runs these programs. They’re first-rate people.
I think there’s so much to be gained by individuals sitting down across the table from each other and working their matters out as opposed to going through a court system where, because of the sheer volume of cases, we lose sight of the fact that there’s people involved. For the appropriate charges and the appropriate people, restorative processes are a better way for individuals to receive justice and to feel justice has been done.
