St. Leonard's Society of Canada
211 Bronson Ave # 208 K1R 6H5 Ottawa, ON, Canada

We are very sorry to hear of David Milgaard's passing. He was a champion that worked tirelessly to bring attention and action to the issues of wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice. We are grateful for all the work he did for the community and know his legacy will live on.

In the context of Bill C-228 (An Act to Establish a Federal Framework to Reduce Recidivism), one of our student placements developed a survey to get a better understanding of feelings of safety among Canadians to provide insight to help the application of this bill. Providing your feedback would be beneficial to this study and would only take 5 MINUTES of your time. Thanks to those who participate! Access the survey here: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSehcTy3bR5Ql-1rT/viewform

Did you know you can get an SLSC membership? To get/renew yours, simply: Fill out the online form here: https://form.jotform.com/212316497083255 And pay the $50 membership fee here: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/2440 ... If you have any questions, leave a comment or send us a DM or email ([email protected])! #membership #stleonardscanada #slscanada #communitycorrections #network

How much do you know about our affiliate in London? See all their info in the post below to learn more!

Attention Ottawa folks!

Today begins a 15-day awareness and action campaign titled By Any Other Name. In the lead up to the anniversary of the implementation of Structured Intervention Units (SIUs), events putting a spotlight on the issue of solitary confinement in Canada are taking place each day. Given the research on the topic and the recent findings and recommendations of the experts that oversaw the implementation of the SIUs, SLSC knows this targeted attention is needed to better understand and address current challenges. Click here to see the full list of events: https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/spotlight-on-solitary-317630145

"For families like mine, prisoners are not nameless and faceless: They are our loved ones." Our friend and colleague, Farhat Rehman, wrote this article which highlights some of the key challenges of the correctional system. Thank you, Farhat, for this poignant and sobering article. https://www.msn.com//rehman-dehumanizing-count/ar-BB1ap1wz

Catch up on SLSC’s 2020 activities in the latest edition of our newsletter, Community Connections/Communication en communauté (Fall 2020). Items of interest include: - Mike Horne’s retirement - Introducing a new St. Leonard’s - Big news from our ED - and much more! ... http://www.stleonards.ca//Community-Connections-Fall-2020.

The hallmark of a society is how we treat our most vulnerable people and how we treat our worst people. The idea behind the criminal justice system is to make our society safer, and were not doing that if we damage people when we put them in a custodial facility by depriving them of human contact. Were making society less safe, which is contrary to the purpose.

It's ok to not be ok. It's ok to need help. It's ok to want someone to listen without judgement. It's ok to need support when you have a loved one incarcerated. CFCN offers a Support Group on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month at 7:30pm Toronto time.

What do you think about Ontario's investment in a new correctional facility? Since the pandemic began, we have seen efforts that have effectively reduced the number of people in provincial custody, so why would we want to see investments in increasing capacity for incarceration? But, the current infrastructure of provincial jails is outdated, so improving the space for those who are being incarcerated could also be seen as a worthwhile initiative. Let us know!... https://news.ontario.ca//ontario-supporting-frontline-corr https://news.ontario.ca//modernizing-adult-correctional-fa

Trauma often gets passed from generation to generation, without us even realizing what we're passing on, or why. It takes some self-awareness and effort, but we can break the cycle of abuse. We can do better than what was done to us. Shared from Tiny Buddha http://ow.ly/NhZn50AWz5l

This article attributes challenges for release to halfway houses to 'wait lists', but let's add some context to that: halfway houses have been forced to reduce their own capacity, with limited support to procure PPE, to manage the health risks to front-line staff and residents working and living within a congregate setting. Furthermore, halfway houses have been diligent in ensuring that transfers from prisons to communities do not pose undue risk to the public health of their neighbours and surrounding areas. For more information about how COVID has impacted the community corrections sector, contact SLSC. https://www.thestar.com//remember-the-chatter-about-releas

SLSC's newest research publication, Life(r)s Work: Supporting a Modernized Strategy for Life-Sentenced People in Canada (2020), is now available under the Publications tab on the SLSC website! Find the report here: http://www.stleonards.ca//20/07/SLSC-Final-Report-2020.pdf Find the abstract here: http://www.stleonards.ca/publications/

Community integration and support is of utmost importance in the successful reintegration process. A study from Florida State University found that almost half ...of former inmates experienced at least 1 traumatic event in the first 8 months after they were released from prison. The study also found that the resources necessary for successful reentry such as employment, income, transportation, housing, insurance, and support from friends and family dwindled for many individuals 8 months after their release as well. https://thecrimereport.org//trauma-a-way-of-life-during-p/

If you haven't checked out our Spring 2020 newsletter, see the link below! Please note that we have extended the deadline for submissions to our 'Together ApART' Showcase (details on page 6) to July 31st. We hope you and your 'quarantine companions' will considering sending in art you have made that has been inspired by motivation, support, and/or reassurance you have had during the pandemic. We also welcome article submissions for our next edition of the newsletter, partic...ularly those that highlight the incredible work that frontline staff have been doing throughout the pandemic and/or the resiliency of CBRF residents. Happy reading! http://www.stleonards.ca//Community-Connections-Spring-202

FYI: Reports of two staff staff testing positive for COVID-19 at Bath and Joyceville Assessment Unit https://www.thewhig.com//two-csc-staff-members-test-positi

Pleased to see CFCN's incredible Dad HERO project featured on CSC's webpage. Awesome support from the Movember Foundation to help make this a reality for so many incarcerated dads! https://www.lte-ene.ca//canadian-families-and-corrections-

Congrats on the beautiful new website, St. Leonard's Community Support, Prevention and Residential Services! Click below to read more about all the programs and services offered by our wonderful affiliate.

We welcome yesterday's announcement from Minister Blair at Public Safety Canada! Thanks for this important step toward sharing important lessons learned by our network and exploring innovative solutions for navigating COVID-19 within the community sector. After all, prison health is public health!

SLSC's Spring 2020 newsletter is finally out! Along with the various articles which tell you a bit about what the SLSC network has been up to, please take note of our #TogetherApART Showcase that you can participate in (page 6). Happy reading! http://www.stleonards.ca//Community-Connections-Spring-202

SLSC's 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM) is taking place virtually on this Friday, June 5th. It's not too late to register! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2YN26P7 Or to become a voting member: canadahelps.org/en/dn/2440 Let the Team know if you have any questions: [email protected]

"Housing means stability. It means getting your own life back on track." Canadian Alliance to End Homeless is asking for people to sign their #RecoveryForAll campaign. The campaign is trying to encourage our Parliament to invest in a COVID-19 recovery for all individuals. SLSC is a proud supporter of this cause and will continue making sure that people who have been in conflict with the law are included when talking about ending homelessness for ALL Canadians. ... For more info and to add your signature, click the link below. https://www.recoveryforall.ca

Wednesday, May 13th is the last day to register for SLSC's virtual Annual General Meeting! If you plan on attending, please use the link below to register. If you have any questions, you can email the SLSC team at [email protected] Looking forward to 'seeing' you all on June 5th! ... https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2YN26P7

Happy Elizabeth Fry Week to our colleagues at Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies and all local Elizabeth Fry Societies! Thank you for all the great work you do in the community. SLSC is a proud to partner!

In case any of you didn't hear the wonderful news - last month, our affiliate, St. Leonard's Home Trenton merged with Community Organized Support and Prevention to become St. Leonard's Community Support, Prevention and Residential Services! We are so excited for their team and to see all the great work they will be doing in their community. Happy Month-iversay!

I dont watch my neighbors. I see them. We make our community safer together. Artist: Micah Bazant #BYP

The federal government has dropped its Supreme Court appeal to continue using solitary confinement in Canadian institutions - this article highlights some of the debates about 'administrative segregation' vs. 'structured intervention units'. https://www.theglobeandmail.com//article-solitary-confin/

Hi all, SLSC will be hosting its Annual General Meeting virtually on Friday, June 5th, 2020 at 10:30 AM (EST). Register for the AGM no later than Wednesday, May 13th, 2020: https://lnkd.in/e_2jWqb... To ensure voting privileges at the AGM, please pay for your 2020-21 membership here: https://lnkd.in/ehkVSBs

Instead of continually adding more COVID-19 related posts to your timeline, SLSC has launched a new tab on our website that you can check at your own leisure if you are interested in doing so. The page has information, resources, and actions related specifically to the Canadian criminal justice system and the people affected by it. We have also included a few bonus links that relate to individual well-being. The page will be updated regularly. Please feel free to let us kno...w of any additional links we could add to it. Wishing you all a safe and socially distanced weekend! stleonards.ca/covid-19-information/

Thanks to Alyshah Hasham @TorontoStar for featuring the concerns of COVID19 in Halfway Houses in this article. Click on the link to read the article which features interviews with SLSC's Executive Director Anita Desai, and The St. Leonard's Society of Hamilton's Executive Director Ryan Johnson.

Another tune to brighten your day!

A little entertainment from some friends in North Vancouver!

The next episode is out, folks!

For those of you who need a little good news today!

Here are some tips to help manage your anxiety and stress during these uncertain times. Make sure you're taking care of your mental health as well as your physical health!

We are focusing on critical operations. To protect our staff and offenders, we have suspended: - visits from the public and volunteers - all temporary absences ...from institutions, unless medically necessary - work releases for offenders

Officials from the Parole Board of Canada appeared before the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on Monday to discuss the study of the circumstances that led to the death of Marylène Levesque by an individual on day parole. This statement provides key information relating to some of the misinformation that has been circulating about the case. https://www.canada.ca//statement--appearance-before-the-st

Thanks to Rick for always speaking about such important issues, including the challenges associated with serving life sentences, and thanks to The John Howard Society of Canada for providing the platform! Great to hear a member of the St. Leonard's family on this wonderful podcast.