Justice Canada – The Community-Based Justice Fund

Program Summary:

The Community-Based Justice Fund supports community-based justice programs in partnership with Indigenous communities. Programs are cost-shared with provincial and territorial governments and designed to reflect the culture and values of the communities in which they are situated.

The IJP currently funds 197 community-based programs that serve over 650 communities.

Find a program near you.

The Community-Based Justice Fund provides support to community-based justice programs, which are cost-shared with provincial and territorial governments. The objectives of the Community-Based Justice Fund component are:

• to allow Indigenous people the opportunity to assume greater responsibility for the administration of justice in their communities;
• to help reduce the rates of crime and incarceration among Indigenous people in communities with cost-shared programs; and,
• to foster improved responsiveness, fairness, inclusiveness, and effectiveness of the justice system with respect to justice and its administration so as to meet the needs and aspirations of Indigenous people in the areas of appropriate models for:
  • diversion;
  • development of pre-sentencing options;
  • sentencing alternatives (circles);
  • use of Justices of the Peace;
  • family and civil mediation; and,
  • additional community justice services such as victims support or offender-reintegration services which support the overall goals of the IJP or, where affiliated with a successful program under any of the above.

Activities can fall at any point along the justice continuum, including prevention, pre-charge, post-charge and reintegration.

Eligible Recipients

• First Nations, bands, Tribal Councils, local, regional and national Indigenous organizations;
• regional/municipal governments including their agencies and institutions;
• non-profit community organizations, societies, and associations which have voluntarily associated themselves for a non-profit purpose; and,
• provincial and territorial governments (in the case of flow-through agreements).

There is no call for proposal process for this program stream. If you are interested in discussing a funding proposal, we encourage you to contact a Regional Coordinator in your jurisdiction.

Proposals received are reviewed by the Regional Coordinator in consultation with the Provincial/Territorial partners. Assessment factors may include community requirements and the availability of funds.