March 17, 2015 – Spiritwood, SK – Department of Justice.
Today, Rob Clarke, Member of Parliament for Desnethé - Missinippi - Churchill River, on behalf of the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, announced $147,734 in funding over two years for the Agency Chiefs Tribal Council Community Justice Program. The program supports the development and delivery of alternative justice measures for both youth and adults in Big River, Pelican Lake, and Witchekan Lake First Nations communities. These measures include traditional sentencing circles and healing programs, as well as a range of crime prevention, victim services and education activities.
The funding was provided as part of the Aboriginal Justice Strategy, through which the Government works with provinces, territories and Aboriginal communities to support community-based justice programs. These programs provide an alternative to the mainstream justice system for less serious offences in appropriate circumstances. They also enable Aboriginal people to assume greater responsibility for the administration of justice in their communities and strengthen the voice of victims.
As part of Economic Action Plan 2014, the Government had committed to invest in the Aboriginal Justice Strategy by providing $22.2 million over two years. The Government recently announced that it will extend its support of this important work to include an additional $11.1 million for fiscal year 2016-17.
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