VICTIM FUNDS FOR INITIATIVES IN PEI

CHARLOTTETOWN, May 23, 2001 - Today, Mr. Shawn Murphy, MP for Hillsborough, on behalf of the Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and the Honourable Jeffrey E. Lantz, Attorney General of Prince Edward Island, announced that the Government of Canada will award $147,000 in funding to Prince Edward Island's Office of the Attorney General, Victim Services. The funding was provided through the Policy Centre for Victim Issues' Victim Fund, as part of a federal initiative to increase the confidence of victims of crime in the criminal justice system.

"Our government is committed to funding programs that will raise awareness of victims' needs and improve services to meet them," said Mr. Murphy. "In particular, the funding being provided to the province will help victim services to respond to Francophones, Aboriginal people and seniors living in Prince Edward Island."

"The Province of Prince Edward Island is pleased to acknowledge the contribution of the Federal Department of Justice towards enhancing victim services and providing outreach to special populations of victims of crime on Prince Edward Island. We also wish to thank the RCMP for the contribution from their Victims Fund to the outreach projects," said Minister Lantz.

Of the total amount being given to the province from the Victim Fund, $97,400 will be used to improve services provided to victims. The remaining $49,600 will be used to provide outreach to Francophones and Aboriginal communities through the development and implementation of a victim assistants program, as well as to seniors by piloting an information and education approach.

In August 2000, $10 million was made available over a five year period for initiatives that would help the provinces and territories implement legislation for victims of crime, support innovative pilot projects to help victims of crime, particularly in rural areas, and provide limited emergency financial assistance to assist victims of crime and their families.

Mr. Murphy also announced that more than $328,000 would be provided to projects in the province through the National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention. This national strategy takes an early-intervention approach to crime prevention and community safety and supports innovative, grass-roots responses to the problems of crime and victimization.

To find out more about the Policy Centre for Victim Issues, as well as projects announced today that are being funded through both the Victim Fund and National Crime Prevention Centre at the Department of Justice, visit http://canada.justice.gc.ca.

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Ref:

Farah Mohamed
Minister McLellan's Office
(613) 992-4621

Jeanette Rule
Policy Centre for Victim Issues
(613) 952-1109

Ellie Reddin
Office of the Attorney General,
Prince Edward Island
(902) 368-4584