Alberta Legislative Building. (rdnewsNOW file photo)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

Restorative Justice Funding

Alberta government aiming to give victims a voice in the justice system

Mar 31, 2022 | 4:05 PM

Alberta’s government is providing more than $1 million to fund restorative justice practices throughout the province.

Government officials say restorative justice programming has been in place in Alberta for more than 20 years and is a proven means of reducing recidivism, healing communities impacted by crime and empowering victims.

This month, officials say $720,000 in annual Alberta Community Restorative Justice Grants funding was provided to about 25 non-profit restorative justice providers and organizations.

In addition, the province administers $350,000 in federal funding to Alberta’s youth justice committees, which provide community-based alternatives to court proceedings. There are 59 of these committees in Alberta, with 54 currently receiving funding, say government officials.

Alberta’s current restorative justice programming is said to have strong community, police, Crown and judicial support in many communities. Building on this history and success, work is underway to develop options to implement a comprehensive province-wide restorative justice strategy.

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“With over a 20-year history in our province, restorative justice is not a new concept in Alberta,” noted Tyler Shandro, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, on Thursday. “Properly utilized, restorative justice programming reduces recidivism, heals communities damaged by criminal actions and, most importantly, empowers victims. Alberta’s government is proud to support this work and is actively looking at ways to enhance it.”