Have you ever watched The Mentalist?

It’s this great crime TV show on CBS about a guy named Patrick Jane who’s an independent consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation. Each week, he helps a team of investigators solve serious crimes by using his profound skills of observation.

Like most crime TV shows, the case is solved and the conflict is wrapped up in about 45 minutes. The evildoer is arrested and brought to justice, and the person they have wronged is vindicated. 

From The Hardy Boys books we read when we were young to our current fascination with The Mentalist, it seems justice – or at least, a certain kind of justice – is a key theme in a lot of the pop culture we consume.

But of course, life is not as simple as a crime drama on TV or a series of books aimed at young boys seeking adventure. In real life, conflict is messy and rarely resolved in 45 minutes.

You don’t need to read Winnipeg Police Service news releases to know that this city sees its fair share of conflict every day. So what does justice in Winnipeg look like? Does it exist? And what does the public think of it?

The coming week (Nov. 16-20) is Restorative Justice Week, an annual period dedicated to helping answer some of these questions. Restorative justice is the notion that crime affects everybody – the victim, perpetrator and the larger community. The emphasis is on mediation: helping the offender take responsibility for the harm done and make amends by offering the victim compensation. 

In the issue of The Uniter you’re holding in your hands right now, we’ve included a four-page pullout on the topic of justice in Winnipeg. Our focus includes: a look at how the people involved in justice act (“The long arm of the law society,” page 9); an exploration of how justice is implemented (“Trying to make it on the outside,” page 11); and an interview with the author of a new book about noted social justice advocate Harry Lehotsky (“Remembering the legacy of Winnipeg’s urban saint,” page 12).

Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll find what people think of justice today (“Streeter: What does justice mean to you?” page 2) and an exploration of food justice issues (“Food excess versus food access,” page 19).

This is by no means a comprehensive look at justice in the city, but will hopefully shed some light on aspects of the system you may not be aware of.

As always, we want to know what you think. Write to [email protected] and let us know what your profound skills of observation have revealed to you.

Published in Volume 64, Number 11 of The Uniter (November 12, 2009)