Dave Hancock, Minister of
Justice and Attorney General

This is truly an exciting time for Alberta Justice and its partners. In the Speech from the Throne, Albertans were provided with a "big picture" view of the government's renewed vision and 20-year plan. I have long been an advocate for enhanced strategic planning in government and was honoured when the Premier asked me to chair the committee tasked with developing this new plan.

For Alberta Justice, our focus within this overarching 20-year plan is to become a more policy - driven and outcomes-focused organization, in order to be more effective.

To achieve this, we must continue to cultivate and enhance our partnerships so as to develop the policy framework that will lead us to the outcomes we seek. It also means collectively identifying our desired shared outcomes, defining the stakeholders and their respective roles in pursuing those outcomes, and assuring them that government has the monitoring and measuring systems in place to maintain accountability.

For Alberta Justice, the primary outcome we seek is "safe communities." Our strategic planning, business planning, and budgeting are all guided and focused by this outcome. Of course, one of the challenges we face as we work in this new long-term planning environment is how to measure our success in achieving our outcomes. This is something all justice system stakeholders will have to address in the future.

As we move forward into a new fiscal year, I extend my thanks to our partners and Alberta Justice staff for your continued hard work and dedication in making our justice system the best it can be. It is through your combined efforts, that we will achieve the fourth pillar of the new 20-year strategy - making Alberta the best place to live, work and visit.

Heather Forsyth,
Solicitor General

It is a pleasure for me to again introduce a new edition of Just-in.

We take great pride in this publication and I am especially pleased that its distribution has been widened so that readers beyond our department, and outside government in fact, can see the valuable things we do to ensure that Albertans have safe and secure communities.

It is important that we recognize the programs, individuals and the just plain interesting things that go on to keep the criminal justice system working. There is nothing wrong with tooting our own horn because we have so much of which to be proud.

In the last issue, I spoke of my concerns over the spread of methamphetamine and my visit to three U.S. cities to learn of their experiences and see how they are addressing the problem.

We have not stood still since that time. We have launched a major public awareness campaign to inform Albertans of the dangers these homemade drugs present and what they can do about it. With the help of Alberta police services, newspapers, radio and television, we want to provide factual information so that we can deal with this problem before it gets out of control.

Also since the last publication, Alberta's first AMBER Alert was issued. Edmonton police activated the province-wide emergency warning system in December after a child abduction from the University Hospital. I am pleased that the alert worked and the child was recovered within hours.

Alberta was the first province to establish an AMBER Alert system and I'm pleased to note that six other provinces have since established programs of their own. Once again Alberta has shown the way and I am confident such programs will soon be in place right across the country.

Good work everyone.

Terry Matchett,
Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General

The fiscal year is drawing to a close and the 2004-07 department business plan was recently released.

This year, along with other government departments, our Business Plan Committee placed greater emphasis on using a strategic approach when developing the document. This resulted in a list of the department's strategic priorities being included in the business plan. Our priorities, along with our department's goals, will better help guide us in working with our partners towards a modern, responsive and trusted justice system - the foundation for a safe and caring community.

I am also pleased to report that the Organization Renewal Implementation Program is progressing well. The cross-representative project team from Criminal Justice, Court Services, and Civil Law, with the assistance of TkMC - a professional management consulting firm - continues to work with staff towards ensuring that our department's resources are being used to the greatest extent possible.

To date, the teams are at various stages in their projects, some have made recommendations, others are still in the process of developing alternatives. All recommendations will be reviewed and approved prior to the implementation stage of the program.

I extend my sincere appreciation to all staff that have put such tremendous effort into this program. Accomplishing this takes sustained hard work, and the "give and take" that always accompanies successful, collective efforts.

Your continued participation is encouraged. I look forward to keeping you up-to-date on the department's achievements in the new fiscal year.

Jim Nichols ,
Deputy Solicitor General

This department has spent the last few years reviewing its main functions: corrections, policing and services for victims of crime. As I look into the future I see the coming year as one marked by action, a year of implementing many of the recommendations coming out of those reviews.

Some have wondered why it has taken so long, but I believe, like Thomas Jefferson once said, "delay is preferable to error." Better to get it right today than to have to fix it later.

The review of policing in Alberta is an extremely important process that I believe will prove to be a positive step forward towards our goal of maintaining safe communities.

There have been many changes in federal legislation in the way adult and young offenders are handled, so it is imperative that we adapt our provincial correctional services to match the new reality. That's what the corrections review is all about.

The review of victims services was necessary because of the public's changing expectations of the role of the victim in the justice system and the need to better balance the needs of the victim and the offender. This is an on-going process but I believe this review will help us take another step in the right direction.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all staff and stakeholders who have given their time and determination bringing these reviews to completion. I know you will put even more effort into bringing about the changes that we have worked so hard to identify.