Over the past year, a number of initiatives aimed at tackling the root causes of crime and providing support to victims were taken on. Alberta Justice worked with community partners, the City of Calgary and the federal government to launch the first court in Alberta dedicated to hearing domestic violence cases. This court is the first initiative of its scope in Canada. The four-year pilot project will ensure victims have fast access to protection orders, as well as counselling and treatment for both victims and perpetrators of abuse. In addition to the court pilot, Alberta Justice continued to help victims through ongoing services such as Crown Prosecutor's Public Assistance Units, grants for victims programs and funding for Legal Aid.
Safe communities are about more than apprehending and sentencing criminals.
Virtually every person who comes into contact with our correctional system will be back in the community within a short period of time. The average length of stay is 42 days. Therefore it is important that we identify and deal with the root causes of crime and create programs that encourage offender rehabilitation. The attendance centres provide increased supervision and support to help keep these individuals from re-offending. In the coming year, Alberta Justice will continue to make safe and caring communities our number one priority.