Advancing racial justice in Canada’s criminal justice system.
The Viola Desmond Justice Institute strengthens access to Impact of Race and Culture Assessments, builds practitioner capacity, advances public education, and advocates for systemic change addressing anti-Black racism in the justice system.
Our work in figures
IRCA statistics
The most up-to-date figures provided by the VDJI team for completed Impact of Race and Culture Assessments and IRCAs in progress.
IRCA figures
IRCAs across Canada
Explore the most up-to-date figures provided by the VDJI team.
NCR’s figures are counted separately from Ontario and Québec. Totals reflect the reporting regions provided by VDJI.
Map boundaries: Natural Earth
Figures by reporting region
Download figures (CSV)| Reporting region | Completed | In progress | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Québec | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Alberta | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Manitoba | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| NCR (Gatineau/Ottawa) | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| Ontario | 37 | 14 | 51 |
| All reported regions | 48 | 21 | 69 |
Learn how IRCAs support informed, individualized decisions.
Learn about IRCAs →-
Mandate, Mission, Vision, & Values
The Viola Desmond Justice Institute (VDJI) is a bilingual B3 service delivery organization dedicated to fostering an equitable criminal justice system in Canada through addressing institutional anti-Black racism and promoting an understanding of the impact of race and culture. VDJI supports the provision, management, and evolution of Impact of Race and Culture Assessments (IRCAs) through the training and mentorship of IRCA Assessors, enhancing the quality and accessibility of IRCAs, and advocating against systemic anti-Black racism.
VDJI is dedicated to justice, education and racial and cultural competence in understanding systemic anti-Black racism. At VDJI, we seek to create meaningful impact and equitable justice for Black individuals involved with the law, with the objective of honouring Viola Desmond’s legacy and the values she stood for: a social and legal landscape free from racial discrimination and systemic barriers.
Viola Desmond
In 1946, Halifax businesswoman Viola Desmond confronted the racism that African Nova Scotians routinely faced when she refused to move from her seat in the “whites-only” section of the Roseland Theatre. For this, she was arrested, jailed overnight, and fined. Her unsuccessful appeal to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia attracted national attention. It confirmed for African-Canadians that the law did not protect them and sparked their activism. Desmond’s resistance to racial discrimination was an important milestone in Canada’s human rights history and an inspiration for the civil rights movement in this country.