DARTMOUTH, NS , May 16, 2024
/CNW/ - Across the country, governments, police, lawyers, judges
and community partners are working with communities and families to
prevent youth involvement in crime and ensure a fair and effective
youth justice system. The Government of Canada is pleased to support the innovative
work done by its partners to help help youth who have been in
conflict with the law.
Today, on behalf of the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of
Justice and Attorney General of
Canada, Darren Fisher, Member of Parliament for
Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, announced funding
of $672,000 over three years to
Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia to address existing
youth justice service gaps in rural areas of the province.
Funding for the Rehabilitation, Reintegration, and Reduced
Recidivism of Criminalized Youth in Yarmouth, Antigonish, and Truro project will help the organization
deliver individualized case management and intervention plans,
including gendered and cultural supports, mental health services,
educational assistance, and housing access services to youth.
The project will hire three Youth Justice Coordinators for the
areas of Yarmouth, Antigonish, and Truro to identify and address gaps in existing
supports for youth involved in the criminal justice system. They
will then establish collaborative networks to deliver programming
to help youth rehabilitate and reintegrate into their
communities.
Justice Canada is providing
$672,000 in funding for this project
over three fiscal years (2024 to 2027) through the Youth Justice
Fund.This will help enhance the youth justice system's
effectiveness, address emerging youth justice issues, and promote
citizen and community involvement. The fund supports projects that
bridge gaps in services for Indigenous, Black and other
racialized youth who are overrepresented in the youth criminal
justice system across the country.
The Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia is a
non-profit organization that addresses root causes of
criminalization of women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals. It
assists vulnerable populations to heal and develop stronger
community connections, and supports their access to justice through
advocacy, guidance and legal representation.
Quotes
"Helping vulnerable youth leave the criminal justice system is
critical to young people reintegrating into society and making
meaningful contributions to their communities. That is why our
government is supporting the work of Elizabeth Fry Society of
Mainland Nova Scotia and their vision of breaking the cycles that
lead to criminalization by offering critical supports to
youth."
The Honourable Arif Virani, P.C., M.P.
Minister of
Justice and Attorney General of
Canada
"We want to ensure that as youth exit the justice system, they
have the support they need to successfully reintegrate back into
their communities and avoid a life of crime. Our government
recognizes the important work that Elizabeth Fry Society of
Mainland Nova Scotia does in our communities and we're providing
funding to support their efforts in addressing existing youth
justice service gaps."
Darren Fisher,
M.P.
Member of Parliament for Dartmouth-Cole
Harbour, Nova Scotia
"We are thrilled about and beyond grateful for this
game-changing funding. It will allow us to identify the gaps needed
to support our youth across the province in exiting the justice
system."
Susan Ayles
Director
of Programs
Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova
Scotia
Quick Facts
- The Youth Justice Fund is one of three programs that are part
of the Youth Justice Initiative, a multi-faceted approach to youth
justice designed to create a fairer, more effective youth justice
system.
- Since its inception in 2003, the Youth Justice Fund has
supported numerous projects that have helped divert vulnerable
youth away from a life of crime. As of April
2024, this program is funding 23 active multi-year pilot
projects across the country totaling $13.2
million.
- In 2022/23, Black youth made up 15% of youth correctional
admissions in Nova Scotia, but
represented only 6% of the total youth population in the province.
(Statistics Canada, special request)
- In 2022/23, Indigenous youth made up 18% of youth custodial
admissions in Nova Scotia, but
represented only 7% of the total youth population. (Statistics
Canada, special request)
- The urgent need to respond to Indigenous overrepresentation in
the Canadian justice system is included in the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission's Report in Call to Action (CTA) 38.
CTA 38 calls upon federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous
governments to eliminate the overrepresentation of Indigenous youth
in custody. Learn how the Government of Canada is responding to the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action.
- The Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia has been in
operation for more than 40 years during which time it has served
more than 80,000 women, offered more than 600 programs, and carried
out more than 700 support visits.
Associated links
- The Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia (English
only)
- Youth Justice Fund (Justice
Canada)
- Youth Justice Initiative (Justice
Canada)
- Budget 2021: A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and
Resilience
Stay connected
- Follow the Department of Justice
Canada on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.
- Follow Minister Virani on Twitter: @MinJusticeEn
- Subscribe to receive our news releases and more via RSS
feeds. For more information or to subscribe, visit
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/rss.html.
- Follow Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia on:
https://www.facebook.com/efrysocietyhalifax/
https://www.instagram.com/efrymainland/?hl=en
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCovVkBuQSP4tMjypzwqAWqA
https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fefrymainlandns
SOURCE Department of Justice
Canada