The Government of Alberta is investing $961,000 to support community justice initiatives that serve the unique needs of Alberta communities.
The Alberta Community Justice Grant is a program that provides funding to promote and expand restorative justice initiatives and services in certain communities. The program aims to establish a system for resolving legal issues within a community setting, improve coordination, and enhance the capabilities of community-based programs dealing with criminal, family, and civil matters. Additionally, it supports the development of community-driven alternatives to the formal legal system.
In the fiscal year of 2023-24, 39 organizations across the province have been selected for grant funding. These organizations are dedicated to supporting families and communities and consist of a variety of legal matters such as criminal matters, family law matters, and others. The grant recipients are spread across the province with nine in Calgary, nine in Edmonton, five in Southern Alberta, eleven in Central Alberta, and five in Northern Alberta. The organizations include Indigenous-based organizations as well.
I am proud of this innovative approach to alternative justice for Albertans. This grant will support organizations to boost community-driven alternatives to the formal court system to better serve their communities – Mickey Amery, Minister of Justice and Attorney General
The town of Whitecourt and Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation are among the municipalities and organizations that will benefit from the $961,000 in provinical funding toward community justice initiatives.
Other recipients include the Grande Prairie Family Education Society, Yellowhead Trial Development Foundation, Alexander First Nation, Legal Resource Centre of Alberta and many more organizations.
Funding of up to $1,200,000 will be allocated for the 2023-24 fiscal period however not all applications will be funded and some applications have the possibility of being recommended for a lesser amount.
The Alberta Community Justice Grant provides up to $25,000 in one-time payments to organizations that provide community-based initiatives aimed at addressing a range of legal issues. These include the development or enhancement of restorative justice programs and increasing access to justice in family law matters.
Other programs include initiatives that provide cultural safety training to justice system professionals, increase access to legal information for new Canadians, and carry out assesments to identify justice needs and service gaps within the community.
Youth Justice Committees across Alberta provide meaningful community-based alternatives to the formal justice system by helping young people to make amends for their actions, access needed resources and contribute in a positive way to their community. This grant will amplify this restorative approach, resulting in immediate and long-lasting benefits for young people, their families, victims, our justice system and our communities. – Denise Blair, executive director, Calgary Youth Justice Society.
Applications for the grant are currently closed, they were accepeted between January 31 and February 29, 2024.
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