The Policy Centre for Victims Issues

The Policy Centre for Victims Issues was created in 2000 by the Justice Department of Canada. For the past 4 1/2 years it has been a vital resourse for victims wishing to unlock the mysteries of the Canadian criminal justice system from the victim's perspective.

The Centre's mandate is as follows:

• make victims more aware of their role in the criminal justice system and the laws, services and assistance applicable to them;
• increase overall awareness about the needs of victims of crime and effective approaches in Canada and internationally
• improve the ability of the Department of Justice to develop laws and policy that take into consideration the perspectives of victims.

The Policy Centre was initiated by a grant from the Government of Canada in the amount of $25 million allocated over a five year period. In March 2005, the funding for the Policy Centre will end unless individuals interested in victim-related initiatives designed to improve support to victims of crime speak out in support of this program.

I urge all of you to write to the Policy Centre and show your support for this vital institution at:

webadmin@justice.gc.ca