A fund created from the forfeiture and sale of criminal property in Alberta is providing grants to victims’ groups and crime prevention projects, including rural women’s projects.
The fund is generated by Alberta’s Safe Communities initiative and the Civil Forfeiture Office. The Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters has received $150,000 from the first stream of grants from the fund to launch a pilot project called Making Amends: Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence in Rural Alberta.
The project is designed to improve safety for domestic violence victims in rural communities and support enhanced training for staff. This includes transportation for victims, security system upgrades and education sessions for non-urban shelter staff to help victims access legal services.
The Victims Restitution and Compensation Payment Act was introduced in the fall of 2008 under the Safe Communities initiative as a long-term way to address crime and support victims of illegal activity.
Since the establishment of the Civil Forfeiture Office, more than $19.1 million in property and cash tied to criminal activity has been retained.
