Canada: Indigenous Community Corrections Initiative Program 2023

Deadline: 12-Jun-23

The Government of Canada has announced the applications for the Indigenous Community Corrections Initiative (ICCI) to support alternatives to custody and reintegration projects responsive to the unique circumstances of Indigenous people in Canada by providing culturally relevant services that may include counselling, treatment, life skills coaching, family reunification, and addressing the effects of residential schools and involvement with child welfare systems.

The ICCI will use a two-pronged approach by issuing both open and targeted calls for proposals to maximize the reach of the program by generating potential recipients and building on existing relationships.

Program Objectives

• The key principles listed guide the Program in this solicitation. Applicants must apply all of these principles to their proposals when submitting a request for funding:
  • PS, through the ICCI will work to:
    • Facilitate and promote connections with provinces and territories;
    • Conduct research and promote evidence-based best practices to reduce recidivism
    • Enhance data collection as part of the FFRR and Public Safety Quantitative Data Strategy to augment measurement of the effectiveness of correctional interventions;
    • Implement approaches that speak to the unique needs of Indigenous groups who are overrepresented in the criminal justice system;
    • Assess the unique needs of gender diverse Indigenous offenders to best support their unique needs and apply a trauma-informed approach; and
    • Integrate the needs of victims in its approaches.
  • N.B. Funding applications that seek 5 year implementation funding will be asked to collect additional data for research. The data collected will be used for sharing best practices and knowledge development, as well as tailoring the ICCI program to better support Indigenous-led efforts in delivering culturally appropriate services. This research is not intended to evaluate individual recipients or the services they offer but to gain knowledge that will be shared broadly to provide communities and organizations with concrete examples of approaches that have had positive outcomes.
  • The ICCI will provide contribution funding to eligible recipients to develop tailored approaches that address gaps in services to Indigenous clients with the overall program objectives being:
    • To support the development of alternatives to incarceration; or
    • To provide reintegration support.
• Public Safety will seek to collect data from recipients of 5 year pilot projects that will contribute to the knowledge base of what works for Indigenous offenders. Presently there is insufficient research data to support the determination of efficacy of programs undertaken by organizations working with justice-involved individuals to develop and reinforce pro-social behaviours thereby reducing recidivism. Collecting additional data for research will be used for the sharing of best practices and knowledge development as well as tailoring the ICCI program to better support Indigenous-led efforts in delivering culturally appropriate services.
• In the event that an insufficient number of applications are submitted that are designed specifically to address priority areas (e.g., women-centred, 2SLGBTQI+) Public Safety will undertake a targeted call for proposals to organizations working with underserved populations.

Funding Information

• The Program has received a total of $56,010,000 in funding over 5 Fiscal Years for this initiative and a portion of those funds have been set aside for this solicitation.
  • 2023-24: $5.21M
  • 2024-25: $12.7M
  • 2025-26: $12.7M
  • 2026-27: $12.7M
  • 2027-28: $12.7M
• The maximum amount of contribution payable to each recipient will be limited by the vote appropriated for this purpose and will not exceed $1,000,000 per recipient, per year. The assistance is provided only at the minimum level to further the attainment of the stated transfer payment program objectives and expected results.

Eligible Activities Include

• Projects will be reviewed against selection criteria set out under each category.
  • Knowledge Building (36 months maximum)
    • Supports issues of reintegration and alternatives to incarceration through identification of information gaps and assemblage of information:
      • The extent to which the project contributes information on alternatives to incarceration or reintegration support;
      • The extent of integration in the criminal justice system that the organization seeking support has; and
      • The extent to which the project identifies knowledge gaps and contributes to the development of a knowledge base.
  • Knowledge Sharing (12 months maximum)
    • Supports the dissemination and communication of knowledge and information to enhance community readiness and capacity prior to the development of alternatives to incarceration or reintegration support projects:
      • Will the project inform the development of community-based alternatives to incarceration or reintegration support projects?;
      • The extent to which the project contributes to augmentation of knowledge, skill development and capacity enhancement in Indigenous communities;
      • The extent to which the project can be disseminated to a diverse audience; and
      • Will the activity(ies) undertaken contribute to public safety?.
  • Capacity building (24 months maximum)
    • Supports the development of abilities and competencies in Indigenous communities to address alternatives to incarceration or reintegration support:
      • The extent to which the project provides opportunities for communities to seek expertise, training and activities that leads to a strategic response to alternatives to incarceration and reintegration support;
      • The extent to which the project will lead to the development of an implementation project or model; and
      • The extent to which the project leads to community buy-in.
  • Implementation Readiness (24 months maximum)
    • Supports the development of implementation plans and enhance recipients’ ability to support reintegration efforts (i.e., development of networks and relationships to support offenders or the development of alternatives to incarceration):
      • The extent to which the project promotes internal and external partnerships;
      • The extent to which the project leads to community readiness; and
      • The extent to which the project supports federal government horizontality approaches.
  • Project Implementation (60 months maximum)
    • Supports alternatives to incarceration and reintegration support that can involve multiple partners including federal, provincial and community governments and organizations:
      • The extent to which the project supports alternatives to incarceration;
      • The extent to which the project provides reintegration support to offenders returning to the community; and
      • The extent to which the project contributes to promising practices and tools that can be developed and widely circulated to other interested Indigenous communities.

Eligibility Criteria

• Indigenous not-for-profit organizations (on and off-reserve, First Nation, non-status Indian, Métis, Inuit and urban);
• Municipal and other local governments working in collaboration with Indigenous organizations and/or communities;
• Indigenous governments including:
  • A “council of the band” within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Indian Act, R.S.C. 1985, c.I-5; and
  • A government of a First Nation, Métis, or Inuit community established or acknowledged by an act of Parliament or a legislature.
  • Canadian universities and colleges.

For more information, visit ICCI.