Department of Justice
Youth Justice Fund

Cities and Community Partnerships Component
(Main Fund)

2008-2009

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Background on Youth Justice Fund

The Department of Justice Canada administers the Youth Justice Fund, a program designed to enhance citizen and community participation to promote a fair and more effective youth justice system.

Objectives of the Cities and Community Partnerships Component

The intent of the Cities and Community Partnerships Component is to enable greater citizen/community participation in the youth justice system (including within Aboriginal communities); to encourage partnerships among traditional and non-traditional youth justice partners; and to encourage collaborative responses to a number of youth justice needs, within a community, by working with other funders and/or community organizations.

Program interventions can take place at various points in the youth justice system including the front end as a diversion away from the formal court system, during reintegration, or during a custody and supervision order. Successful rehabilitation and reintegration of young offenders back into their communities are key principles associated with maintaining safe streets and safe communities.

Funding Priorities

1. Reduce the over-representation of youth involved in the justice system with mental health issues and cognitive incapacities like Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).
2. Respond to ongoing/emerging youth justice issues.

Eligible Activities

Activities eligible for funding support could include:

• Organize and host meetings between youth justice service providers and stakeholders and other service providers such as education, employment, housing and recreation to analyse ongoing/emerging youth justice issues.
• Research activities which will synthesize the results of existing research or contribute to a growing awareness and recognition of promising practices and models for on-going or emerging youth justice issues.
• Organize regional or national activities that encourage the sharing of information on programs and services, including best practices, lessons learned and opportunities for cross-sectoral solutions to support youth with mental health issues, including FASD, who are involved in the criminal justice system.
• Training and educational initiatives for service providers typically working outside of the youth justice system to assist them in working more effectively with youth in conflict with the law and with mental health issues, including FASD.
• Develop, implement and evaluate practices and/or models that facilitate community involvement and programming that respond to youth in conflict with the law with unique needs such as chronic and repeat offenders or youth with mental health issues, including FASD.

Who Can Apply

Within the parameters outlined in the "Funding Priorities" section, any of the following may be eligible for funding:

1. Non-profit community organizations, societies, and associations which have voluntarily associated themselves for a non-profit purpose;
2. Canadian institutions/boards of education;
3. Bands, First Nations, Tribal Councils, local, regional and national Aboriginal organizations;
4. Provincial, territorial and municipal governments and their agencies and institutions;
5. Private sector organizations as long as such organizations will not make a profit on the work performed;
6. For-profit enterprises, research/evaluation organizations and individuals are eligible for funding to conduct research and evaluation activities; and,
7. Individuals.

For further information, please contact:

Francine Proulx
Program Analyst
Youth Justice Fund, Youth Justice Policy
Department of Justice Canada
180 Elgin Street, 7th Floor
Ottawa, ON K1A 0H8
Phone: 613-946-9452
Fax: 613-954-3275
Email: francine.proulx@justice.gc.ca