Government of Canada Funds Enhancements to Victim Services in British Columbia

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Feb. 11, 2015) - Today, Justice Minister Peter MacKay announced funding of $1,168,788 for the enhancement of victim services to the Victim Services and Crime Prevention Division of the British Columbia Ministry of Justice. Minister MacKay was joined by Minister of National Revenue Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay and British Columbia Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton.

The funding is being used by the British Columbia Ministry of Justice for a variety of activities that benefit victims of crime, victim service providers, and communities. The activities are improving services available to victims and their ability to access them, and providing training to service providers so they can respond more effectively to the specific needs of victims of crime. The ability of the province's communities to respond to and prevent complex issues such as human trafficking and sexual exploitation are also being improved.

Quick Facts

• The funding supports the Victim Services and Crime Prevention Division of the British Columbia Ministry of Justice to undertake a number of activities, including projects to:

• Provide focused, practical, online training for police-based and community-based victim service providers, and offer training to victim services providers to increase their ability to respond to victims of crime who are experiencing mental health-related problems;

• Raise awareness among specific multicultural groups in communities across B.C. of the services available for victims of domestic violence through VictimLink BC;

• Deliver workshops on human trafficking to help communities develop local responses and prevention initiatives to address the issue;

• Improve the current victim and witness support area within the Vancouver Provincial courthouse;

• Improve coordination between child and youth serving organizations and the criminal justice system to better address the trafficking and sexual exploitation of children and youth in B.C.;

• Hold community knowledge exchange sessions to explore new ways of preventing, responding to and re-building from the impacts of violence against women and children;

• Develop a management and tracking system for the province's Restitution Program for victims of crime; and

• Translate the province's Victim Impact Statement form into eight additional languages and increase the number of testimonial aids available for victims of crime.

• The funding is being provided as follows:

• 2013-14: $175,400

• 2014-15: $493,688

• 2015-16: $499,700

Total: $1,168,788

• The funding is being provided through the Department of Justice Canada's Victims Fund. The Victims Fund provides grants and contributions to support projects and activities that:

• Encourage the development of new approaches;

• Promote access to justice;

• Improve the capacity of service providers;

• Foster the establishment of referral networks; or

• Increase awareness of services available to victims of crime and their families.

Quotes

"Our Government is committed to working with our provincial and territorial partners to ensure that victims receive the services they need. The funding being provided to the province of British Columbia will benefit victims of crime by helping improve access to justice for victims and witnesses, and ensure that service providers have access to more learning opportunities."

Peter MacKay

Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

"Being a victim of a crime can change a person's life forever. When they are at their most vulnerable point, victims need to be made aware that there are programs and services that can help them within their own communities. The funding being provided announced today further illustrates our Government's commitment to victims of crimes, as well as to those who serve victims in their communities."

Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay,

Minister of National Revenue and MP for Delta-Richmond-East

"This funding from the Government of Canada helps with our long-term strategy to prevent violence against women in B.C. and better assist victims of crime. Already, we are directing these additional resources to local service providers, allowing people to access the supports they need in their own communities. Moving forward, our government will continue to work to help enhance services for victims of crime as we move closer towards our goal of a violence-free B.C."

Suzanne Anton

Attorney General and Minister of Justice

Related Products

• Backgrounder: Federal Victims Strategy and Victims Fund

Associated Links

• Department of Justice Canada's Policy Centre for Victim Issues
• Department of Justice Canada's Victims Fund

Follow Department of Justice Canada on Twitter (@JusticeCanadaEn), join us on Facebook or visit our YouTube channel.

Backgrounder

Federal Victims Strategy and Victims Fund

The Federal Victims Strategy was created in 2007 and made permanent in 2011. The objective of the Strategy, which is led by the Department of Justice Canada, is to give victims a more effective voice in the criminal justice system. The Department of Justice works in close collaboration with other federal institutions, as well as victims, victim advocates, provincial and territorial governments, service providers, and others involved in the criminal justice system. The Department of Justice develops policy and criminal law reform, funds various programs to meet the needs of victims of crime, explores best practices to address victims' needs, and raises awareness about the concerns of victims of crime and their role in the criminal justice system.

Within the Federal Victims Strategy, the Victims Fund is a grants and contributions program administered by the Department of Justice. Funds are available each year to provinces, territories and non-governmental organizations whose projects, activities and operations support the objectives of the Federal Victims Strategy.

The Victims Fund provides funding to projects and activities that:

• Enhance victim assistance programs across Canada;
• Promote access to justice and participation in the justice system and the development of laws, policies, and programs;
• Promote the implementation of principles, guidelines, and laws designed to address the needs of victims of crime and articulate their role in the criminal justice system;
• Contribute to increased knowledge and awareness of the impact of victimization, the needs of victims of crime, available services, assistance and programs, and legislation; and
• Promote, encourage and/or enhance governmental and non-governmental organizations' involvement in the identification of victims' needs and gaps in services, as well as in the development and delivery of programs, services and assistance to victims, including capacity building within non-governmental organizations.

More information is available on the Department of Justice Canada's website.