NEW FUNDING TO HELP HIGH-RISK YOUTH

Regina Street Culture Project Inc. will receive funding from the Saskatchewan Department of Corrections and Public Safety and Justice Canada to help high-risk youth make positive changes in their lives.

The Regina Connected Youth Initiative will help provide comprehensive supervision and support to Regina youth and young adults involved in, or at risk for, gang activity.

"Keeping communities safe is a top priority of this government," Corrections and Public Safety Minister Ron Harper said. "We are taking a comprehensive approach in achieving this objective by developing programs and strategies such as this that both suppress and prevent high-risk activities among youth."

In partnership with Corrections and Public Safety (CPS), this program will develop and support community connections for a selected group of young people currently sentenced and under the supervision of CPS. The program will employ a holistic model to facilitate opportunities for the young people to access appropriate community resources, enhance their skill base and promote healthy lifestyle choices.

The program will receive $205,000 per year under a provincial-federal cost share agreement between the Saskatchewan Department of Corrections and Public Safety and Justice Canada.

The objectives of this project are to: develop supports for high-risk youth; increase capacity to deliver youth justice services; reduce offending; and help high-risk youth connect with and stay connected to community resources that provide ways to exit gang life.

CPS has identified a significant group of repeat high-risk offenders in Regina eligible to participate in this program.

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For more information, contact:

Debi McEwan
Justice
Regina
Phone: 306-787-6043
Email: dmcewen@justice.gov.sk.ca