The federal government will provide more than $2.4 million in funding to the government of Newfoundland and Labrador for projects to help victims of crime as they work through the healing process.
Rob Nicholson, minister of justice and Attorney General of Canada and Felix Collins, minister of justice and Attorney General of Newfoundland and Labrador, made the funding announcement this morning.
"Our government is committed to giving victims of crime a more effective voice in the criminal justice and corrections systems," said Nicholson. "This funding is a substantial investment toward ensuring that victims have the support and tools they need."
Funds will be directed to projects serving victims of crime in Newfoundland and Labrador, including:
· Enhanced services for under-served victims of crime;
· Financial assistance for victims to attend sentencing hearings to present their victim impact statement;
· Financial assistance to access victim programs;
· New public awareness initiatives;
· Video-conferencing equipment for use in court by vulnerable victims.
"This funding allows us to deliver programming that can better respond to the individual needs of victims who have suffered as a result of a crime," said Collins. “Providing the necessary supports for victims of crime is of utmost importance so that they can have meaningful participation in the criminal justice process and start on the path of healing.”
The province has allocated almost $1.3 million in this fiscal year for Victim Services. For the last six years, it has contributed $8.8 million to this programming area.
The federal government has allocated more than $90 million over the past six years for initiatives that benefit victims of crime. Funds are available to provinces, territories and non-governmental organizations for programs and services that give victims of crime a more effective voice in the criminal justice system.
For full story, see Wednesday’s Telegram.
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