Local youth justice committees got a boost to their budgets last week thanks to provincial funding.
The Alberta government handed out $350,000 to committees throughout the province, including $13,000 to the St. Albert region.
The St. Albert Youth Justice Committee received the bulk of that funding, at $9,000, while the Alexander First Nation and Morinville received $3,000 and $1,000 respectively.
“We help youth accept responsibility for their crimes,” said Betty Fraser, facilitator at the St. Albert Youth Justice Committee. “They accept responsibility and we just make them realize the impact that their actions have on the community.”
She said without the funding, the program likely wouldn’t be able to operate.
The committee assists youth 12 to 17 who are charged with a minor first or second offence – often theft or drug charges – and are referred by counsel for alternative measures.
After the courts refer a youth to the St. Albert Youth Justice Committee, he will stand before a panel and tell his side of the story. The panel then deliberates and sets out an acceptable punishment, which is an alternative to a criminal record.
“I think it’s very important because it keeps them out of the court system, it keeps them from having a record and we’ve got awesome, awesome volunteers and our success rate is probably 98 per cent,” Fraser said. “We have very few repeats.”
These alternative punishments include things like community service, essays and meeting victims.
Despite the high success rate, Fraser said more youth are being referred to the program as youth crime is on the rise.
“It’s sad to say that there’s an increase,” she said. “I think the biggest (reason) is youth think they can get away with it because they’re a youth and I just think that sometimes the parents think ‘Oh, it’s just a chocolate bar’ or ‘Oh, it was only a … small amount (of drugs).’ ”
The $9,000 will be directed to salary, training and volunteer appreciation and support, Fraser said.
“Supporting these volunteer-run committees is an effective way to reduce crime,” said Jonathan Denis, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General. “The youth justice committees enable youth to put something back into their communities, while also helping them get their lives back on track.”
The funding handed out to local committees this year mirrors the amounts handed out in 2011, said spokesperson Patrick Mears.
“The grants are allocated based on the number of cases and activities that the youth justice committee performs in the previous calendar year,” he said, adding it is common for amounts to remain unchanged.
Fraser said it would have been nice to see an increase in funding, as the local committee would like to have a full-time employee in the office, adding it is mainly volunteer-run.
Individuals interested in volunteering can contact Fraser at 780-460-9636.
