Dave Hancock, Minister of
Justice and Attorney General

An organization’s most valuable resource is its people and the Ministry of Justice is a perfect example.

In June, I attended the Employee Awards Ceremonies where I had the opportunity to meet some of the department’s most hard working, dedicated, top achievers.

Being a part of the formal ceremonies, held in Edmonton and Calgary, allowed me the opportunity to present the awards and personally thank the eighty-four men and women who received awards for individual and team excellence, humanitarian contributions and educational achievement. In addition, more than 350 Alberta Justice employees were recognized with awards for providing many dedicated years of service.

As Minister I try to attend each and every recognition ceremony and continue to be impressed by the top-notch people who work for Alberta Justice. Through innovative approaches and their dedication to hard work the men and women of this department provide outstanding service to the justice system and contribute substantially to Alberta’s communities through a variety of personal and volunteer activities.

I have heard it said that, “Individual commitment to a group effort is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, and a civilization work.” I would add that it is also what makes our government work.

A heartfelt thank you is extended to each and every one of you who continues to show exceptional commitment to your work, to the department and to Albertans.

I am confident that Alberta Justice is ready to move forward into the province’s centennial year as it continues to help provide safe communities for Alberta’s men, women and children.

Heather Forsyth,
Solicitor General

I am pleased again to introduce the latest issue of Just-in and some of the exciting events going on in our department. I also want to extend my thanks and congratulations to all the hardworking and talented staff at Alberta Solicitor General for jobs well done.

We have had a busy and productive spring with major initiatives launched and now well underway.

Budget 2004 significantly increased policing funding with an additional $58 million in extra money to bolster policing services in Alberta, a 50 per cent increase in spending on policing programs. Policing is becoming more complex and expensive and we are aware of the financial impact on Alberta’s municipalities.

A new per capita policing grant program will assist municipalities that pay for policing and, by raising the population threshold for municipalities that are required to pay for policing, 20 towns will no longer have to pay.

Our response to the MLA Policing Review this spring accepted recommendations to set provincial standards for police services, common training and recruiting programs and to establish a new civilian oversight process to handle complaints against police. These and some 30 other recommendations have either already been done or are well underway.

We are also moving toward launching an electronic monitoring pilot project, implementing a smoking ban in adult jails and hiring more probation officers as part of our response to the Government MLA Corrections Review.

We also accepted more than 30 common sense recommendations and, while some decisions were difficult, these moves will ensure that Alberta continues to provide cost effective correctional programs that hold offenders accountable and promote safe communities.

Terry Matchett,
Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General

With summer vacations drawing to a close, parents preparing their children for a new school year, and projects gearing up at the office many staff often find themselves experiencing greater challenges in balancing their roles as a parent, spouse, care giver and employee during the fall season.

I know that balancing office demands and life outside of work is a constant for employees especially in situations where both parents work outside of the home, or in a single parent family.

Studies show that individuals who better manage time and learn to separate personal time from work time reduce their stress, improve their health and have a happier and more enriching life. Achieving this is not easy and it takes dedication and commitment.

Alberta Justice is taking an active role in its commitment to the health, safety and wellness of its employees and has appointed two new positions in Strategic Human Resources.

Both the Health and Wellness Initiatives Senior Manager and the Health and Wellness Consultant are responsible for initiatives and promotions that will help establish a foundation for wellness in the workplace, which will in turn assist employees in helping themselves to better achieve and maintain a healthy life and work balance. More information will be made available to staff in upcoming months as we roll out these initiatives.

I encourage you to think about your personal situation and take advantage of any wellness initiatives that will help you to achieve higher levels of both personal and professional satisfaction.

Jim Nichols ,
Deputy Solicitor General

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the continuous hard work and contributions of Solicitor General staff.

On June 18 and 21, this department recognized 489 employees through the Employee Recognition Award Program. Employees were awarded for Education Achievement, Individual Excellence, Team Excellence, Humanitarian Contributions, Valour and Milestone Achievements. This year 25 employees reached milestones of over 30 years service. With your dedication and hard work, each of you is doing your part to achieve our goal of safe Alberta communities.

On June 24, the department was one of 43 recipients recognized for superior client service and business excellence in the Alberta Public Service. A team of Solicitor General employees received a Silver Premier’s Award of Excellence for the Victim Advocate Training Manual. After years of hard work, this manual now provides better training for victim advocate volunteers so that they can more effectively assist victims of crime.

We have a dedicated and ambitious team of employees that works hard to serve our clients. It is because of employees like you that Alberta Solicitor General successfully continues its commitment to keeping Alberta safe. Congratulations on your accomplishments. I look forward to more successes in the future.