Newsletter of the St. Leonard’s Society of CanadaSpecial Edition / Édition spéciale

Summer / Été 2015

InsideSociety News

AGM 2015 in Ottawa ........... 2Membership Looking to the Future ............................................. 2SLSC Board of Directors ...... 2From What Works to Unfinished Business ................. 3Election Focus ............................. 3Award Winners ....................... 4

News and Views

Twenty-two London Agencies Develop Plan to Help Sex Trade Workers . ... 5St. Leonard’s Place Peel & The Bloom Clinic: Collaborating for Public Health . ..................... 5St. Leonard’s Society of North Vancouver: Under Construction . ............... 7

The Last Word ...................... 8

Thank You to All DonorsComings and GoingsAbout Us

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Bulletin de la Société St-Léonard du Canada

WHAT’S WORKING, AND BEYONDWHAT’S WORKING? RIGHT and BELOW LEFT: Howard Sape rs and Mar y Campbell presenting to voluntary sector and government staff and volunteers at St. Leonard’s Society of Canada’s “ What Works: A Dialogue on Federal Corrections” held on June 5. BELOW RIGHT: Mary Pat MacKinnon facilitating an SLSC Members’ Planning Session on June 6. Photos: David Whiteley

St. Leonard’s Society of Canada, Community Connections, Special Edition, Summer 2015 Page 2

Move beyond bars. Create second chances.

AGM 2015 in OttawaBy David Whiteley

St. Leonard’s Society of Canada would like to thank Howard Sapers, Mary Campbell, Mary Pat MacKinnon and all the individuals and organizations who contributed to making our 2015 Annual General Meeting such a success. Special thanks are due to Kelly Huibers McNeely Professional Corporation and Marquardt Printing Inc. for sponsoring us this year., the many people who donated to our silent auction, and to Leslie Cowie and Laavanyan Selvendren for their help preparing for and carrying out the weekend’s activities. All in all, the weekend was a huge success!

The events started Friday June 5 with various events culminating in What ‘s Working? A Dialogue on Federal Corerctions, with Howard Sapers and Mary Campbell sharing their considerable insights and wisdom from decades of experience in federal corrections. This was followed Saturday with an SLSC Member’s Planning Session (see below for Elizabeth White’s summary), our annual Awards Luncheon and AGM, and a policy session at which a new policy direction was approved to focus on life sentenced and long-term offenders.

David Whiteley is Director of Operations at SLSC SLSC Board of Directors 2015–16Rebecca Howse (President) – St. Leonard’s Community Services London & Region

Merrikay Snelgrove (Regional Vice-President, Pacific Region, First Vice-President and Secretary) – St. Leonard’s Society of North Vancouver

Jim Murphy (Treasurer) – Member-at-Large

Monica Ross (Regional Vice-President, Prairies) – Member-at-Large

Victor Sinclair (Regional Vice-President, Ontario) – St. Leonard’s Place, Peel

Catherine Brooke – St. Leonard’s House Windsor

Oliver Doyle – St. Leonard’s Society of Peterborough

Sandy McDonaugh – Maison Cross Roads

Rebecca Jesseman – House of Hope

Catherine Kelly – Member-at-Large

Society News

SLSC President Rebecca Howse

Membership Looking to the Futureby Elizabeth White

As the St. Leonard’s Society of Canada closes in on 50 years of mission driven action to promote humane and informed justice policy and responsible leadership to foster safer communities, questions arise about what the next 50 will bring. To shape that future – or a few years of it at least – the membership met in June to establish priority actions in keeping with our values and strategic directions.

Recognizing the complexity and overlapping of social justice issues means knowing that no-one has all the answers: no-one can respond to all the concerns. SLSC committed at that session to work together as individual members and agencies, with the support of the SLSC team, to promote the success of the member agencies and develop evidence-based research and policy. Our thanks go to Hill + Knowlton’s Mary Pat MacKinnon for her professional and thoughtful facilitation of our process.

Elizabeth White is Executive Director of SLSC

St. Leonard’s Society of Canada, Community Connections, Special Edition, Summer 2015 Page 3

Move beyond bars. Create second chances.From What Works to Unfinished Business by Elizabeth White

Over the last five years there has been a 14% decrease in the number of people on full parole and a 12% increase in the number on statutory release. At this time, 70% of releases from federal penitentiaries are by statutory release. As Mary Campbell, former Director General with Public Safety Canada, pointed out when addressing the SLSC AGM this June, that means that those considered least likely to succeed are receiving the least amount of supervision and support when transitioning to the community. Other facts she highlighted included a sharp reduction in work releases, which have a track record of preparing people for successful activity upon release. Overall, those on statutory release reach warrant expiry without a breach 62% of the time, whereas the figures for those on day parole (90%) and full parole (85%) are higher with a resulting improvement for public safety.

At the same time, the number of federally sentenced aboriginal people has increased by more than 50%, a sad finding of the Office of the Correctional Investigator. In his remarks, Howard Sapers repeated his recommendations, that access to s. 81 and s.84 facilities be increased, Gladue principles be applied to correctional decision-making, a Deputy Commissioner for Aboriginal Corrections be appointed, cultural awareness training be enhanced, and that the elder framework be strengthened.

As his term nears its end, Mr. Sapers pointed out the increasing numbers of prisoners with mental health needs, the difficulty of providing for them in penitentiaries, and the need to find alternatives to incarceration for the seriously mentally ill. One of his key concerns is, and has been, the number of deaths in custody; whether from natural causes, suicide, or other. Finally, among the most pressing pieces of unfinished business is the continuing and increasing use of administrative segregation for long periods of time.

SLSC thanks Mary and Howard for their excellent presentations and thoughtful remarks which prompt us to work for better results in whatever ways we are able.

Elizabeth White is Executive Director of SLSC

Election Focusby Elizabeth White

Everyone has an issue top of mind come election time. The pollsters will tell us all about them! Criminal justice is not the most pressing concern for most Canadians, as we live in a comparatively safe country with a declining crime rate. But justice is a primary concern for us at SLSC.

Incarceration is very costly in dollars and human spirit. As one tool to respond to crime, it must be used sparingly and as part of a continuum that recognizes the importance of other tools; community programming, restorative justice, and safe, supported housing among them.

Being Smart on Crime is what we hope for from our governments and all Canadians. With that in mind, we have compiled some facts about how effective sentencing, good physical and mental health care, and effective reintegration practices have on enhancing public safety.

It’s available on our website during the election period. Do check it out!

Elizabeth White is Executive Director of SLSC

SMART ON CRIME THE ST. LEONARD’S PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT WORKS AND WHAT MATTERS

IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

PRESENTED BY: ST. LEONARD’S SOCIETY OF CANADA 208-211 BRONSON AVE, OTTAWA, ON K1R 6H5

www.stleonards.ca

JULY 15, 2015

St. Leonard’s Society of Canada, Community Connections, Special Edition, Summer 2015 Page 4

Move beyond bars. Create second chances.

AWARD WINNERS: Above: Braithwaite Award presented to Mary Campbell, with SLSC Board Member Jim Murphy and SLSC President Rebecca Howse; Left: Gallagher Award presented to Lori MacDonald, with Rebecca Howse and SLH Windsor ED Skip Graham; Below Left: Luxton Award presented to Maison Cross Roads ED Michel Gagnon, with Maison Cross Roads delegate to SLSC Board Meagan Irving and Rebecca Howse; Below: Luxton Award presented to Susan Haines with SLSC ED Elizabeth White and Rebecca Howse. photos: David Whiteley

Congratulations to SLSC’s 2015 Awards recipients:Braithwaite: Mary Campbell was honoured for her expertise in sentencing, corrections and legislative reform and career long commitment to evidence-based and research informed criminal justice policy development.

Gallagher: Lori MacDonald’s brains, courage and heart were applauded for her service at Correctional Service of Canada where she championed the closing of Prison for Women, and served in senior roles with an energy that inspired community and government alike.

Luxton: Michel Gagnon’s contributions to the development of effective interventions for the elderly and life sentenced, and perseverance in providing supports to them, benefit a key and growing sector of the sentenced population.

Luxton: Susan Haines’s passion for her work as a leader at the National Associations Active in Criminal Justice and previously at SLSC encourages others to get involved and keeps the focus on the clients and the community.

SLSC’s 2015 Awards

St. Leonard’s Society of Canada, Community Connections, Special Edition, Summer 2015 Page 5

Move beyond bars. Create second chances.

News and ViewsSt. Leonard’s in the News: Twenty-two London agencies develop plan to help sex trade workersby Anita Desai

Congratulations to St. Leonard’s Community Services London & Region’s Executive Director Heather Lumley who was elected as Chair of the Governance Committee of the Hard to Stop, Harder to Stay Stopped plan, featured June 19, 2015 in the London Free Press.

The plan is ambitious: for 22 agencies to assist street sex workers with obtaining housing, access to health care, and if desired, support to get out of the street life they are experiencing. The plan involves putting people and resources into three key areas: a rapid response unit, a transitional support unit, and a long-term help unit, which are scheduled to start in Fall 2015.

In a recent conversation, Heather reported, “We are excited to be a part of this large initiative to support women in London in a meaningful way, and to assist them in obtaining safe and secure housing along with housing supports for their well-being. The goal of streamlining services and working with partners in a new manner will be a huge benefit for this vulnerable population in London.”

Nowhere else in Canada have so many agencies agreed to break down silos and collaborate to meet some of the most critical needs of street sex workers. Congratulations to Heather and all those involved in this exciting initiative!

Anita Desai is Research and Policy Advisor for SLSC

St. Leonard’s Place Peel & The Bloom Clinic: Collaborating for Public Healthby Ross Harding

Hepatitis C is a virus that primarily affects the liver. Around 150 million people1 are living with chronic hepatitis C—that’s over 2% of the entire population of humanity. Although the virus doesn’t pose a grave threat in its early stages, if left untreated, it can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver, and death. However, up to 1 in 5 of those with hepatitis C don’t even know they have it,2 which means having access to testing is all the more important.

The Bloom Clinic, a member of the WellFort Family located in Brampton, Ontario, is working to

1 “Hepatitis C”. World Health Organization (WHO). April 2014. Retrieved 2015-07-17.

2 “1 in 5 People With Hepatitis C Don’t Know They Have It”. World Hepatitis Day Canada. 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-13.

St. Leonard’s Society of Canada, Community Connections, Special Edition, Summer 2015 Page 6

Move beyond bars. Create second chances.create awareness, provide diagnostic, treatment, and support services for persons infected with, at risk of, and affected by hepatitis C. They provide free and confidential testing for hepatitis C and HIV, along with holistic care that addresses physical, emotional, and mental health. The Bloom Clinic welcomes anyone in the community who would like to get tested, and they have outreach programming to focus on six particularly at-risk populations: intravenous drug users, people involved in the correctional system, the homeless or under-housed, aboriginal peoples, street-involved youths, and people with tattoos or piercings.

T h e v a s t m a j o r i t y o f o u r r e s i d e n t s a t St. Leonard’s Place Peel belong to one or more of those populations, and so a partnership with the Bloom Clinic is a very easy fit indeed. Jadunauth Raghunauth, Program Coordinator at the Bloom Clinic, has already given our residents an initial presentation to explain the program, which involves the Bloom Clinic staff coming on-site to carry out testing on a regular basis. Considering that many of our residents have mobility issues, the Bloom Clinic’s collaboration with us here improves their access to these crucial health services dramatically.

Other services that the Bloom Clinic will help provide for our residents include STI screening, influenza vaccines, and access to other medical services at WellFort (including dental health, diabetes specialists, and primary care practitioners).

Jaydeep Atara, our Registered Practical Nurse here at SLPP, explained more about the partnership with Bloom and WellFort. For example, if a resident doesn’t have a health card, WellFort will provide them services even before they get access to their card. Vital medical supplies like diabetes testing materials will be provided to the residents for free. And if a resident needs a service that Bloom can’t bring to us here at SLPP, then Bloom will cover the bus fare for that resident to come and visit WellFort at 40 Finchgate Boulevard, down the road from us.

So, we’re definitely excited about the partnership between St. Leonard’s Place Peel, the Bloom Clinic, and the rest of WellFort. To raise awareness of hepatitis C in particular, we’ll be collaborating on World Hepatitis Day on July 28. We’ll be at Gage Park in Brampton to help raise awareness of hepatitis and emphasize the importance of testing and treatment. Diseases like hepatitis C and HIV are most dangerous when left untreated, and so the key to better public health is to encourage people to get tested.

If you’re in the Brampton area on July 28, come catch up with us at Gage Park!

Ross Harding is Communications Coordinator at St. Leonard’s Place Peel

More information:The Bloom Clinic, www.bloomclinic.ca

WellFort, www.wellfort.caSt. Leonard’s Place Peel, stleonardsplace.com

The WHO’s Fact Sheet on Hepatitis C, www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs164/en/

St. Leonard’s Society of Canada, Community Connections, Special Edition, Summer 2015 Page 7

Move beyond bars. Create second chances.

The latest phase of construction at St. Leonard’s North Vancouver is well underway—walls coming down (and going up!), additional program space coming together and staff playing musical chairs amid the changes, while they serve clients and keep the residence humming. With the end now in sight, all can look forward to enhanced opportunities for the agency to meet the needs of its residents and day program clients. Estimate to completion: mid-October.

St. Leonard’s Society of North Vancouver: Under Construction

St. Leonard’s Society of Canada, Community Connections, Special Edition, Summer 2015 Page 8

Move beyond bars. Create second chances.ABOUT US . . .

St. Leonard’s Society of Canada is a membership-based, charitable organization dedicated to community safety. The mission of SLSC is to promote a humane and informed justice policy and responsible leadership to foster safe communities.

The opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Society or its members. Submissions, inquiries and comments are welcomed. Please contact us at:

208 – 211 Bronson Ave.Ottawa ON K1R 6H5Tel: (613) 233-5170Fax: (613) 233-5122info@stleonards.cawww.stleonards.cawww.facebook.com/SLSCanadaTwitter: @StLeonards_Can

The SLSC Team

Executive Director: Elizabeth White

Director of Operations: David Whiteley

Research & Policy Advisor: Anita Desai

Financial Administrator: Glenn Provick

Peer Mentoring Volunteer: Daryl Clark

Your support helps us to do more. All donations will receive a tax receipt. Thank you.

Registered Charitable Organization  # 12894 6829 RR0001

Online donations may be made via www.CanadaHelps.org.

PRIVACY STATEMENT:

St. Leonard’s Society of Canada respects your privacy. In compliance with the law, SLSC protects any personal information that we have for our members and donors. We do not rent, sell or trade our mailing lists. Any information we have is used to deliver services and keep you informed of our activities, programs, services, special events and opportunities to volunteer or donate. If at any time you wish to be removed from our contact listing, please contact us toll-free at 1-888-560-9760 or by e-mail at slsc@on.aibn.com, and we will accommodate your request.

I am enclosing a tax-creditable donation of: $25 $50 $100 Other: $________

Please use my donation to support: Peer Mentoring in Alberta The Libby Fund Wherever it is most needed

YES! I support St. Leonard’s contributions to social justice. YES! I want to be a part of SLSC. Please sign me up as a member (with my donation of $50

or more).Name: ___________________________________Address: __________________________________ _____________________________________Phone (optional): ____________________________Email (optional): _____________________________

Please complete this form and return, along with your donation, to: St. Leonard’s Society of Canada

208 – 211 Bronson Avenue Ottawa, ON K1R 6H5Registered Charitable Organization#12894 6829 RR0001

Thank You to All Donors!By Anita Desai

SLSC has had an incredible kick off to our summer fundraising efforts this year! It all started with our Silent Auction held in conjunction with our Annual General Meeting. We had an amazing group of Ottawa-based donors such as Purple Urchin Soaps, White Roof Gifts Jewelry, Tru.my.iz Photo Art, Bridgehead Coffee House, Erin Wallace Jewelry, and Best Western Victoria Plus Suites, Ottawa. We encourage you to click on the links and visit their websites. We also had a number of St. Leonard’s Board members, agencies, and residents donate unique items and all together we were able to raise over $1,000!

In addition to the Silent Auction, our “Dialogue on Federal Corrections” with amazing guest speakers Howard Sapers and Mary Campbell was kindly sponsored by the firm of Kelly Huibers McNeely, and the printing costs associated with our AGM were covered by Marquardt Printing Ltd. 

The fundraising didn’t slow down from there – with a boost of energy from board member Meagan Irving, our 10-for-$10 Campaign started up early. The response was fantastic and inspired SLSC staff to join in and support this board initiative. The campaign is simple: find 10 people to donate $10 to SLSC to help raise funds, and awareness about our organization. It can be as simple as a post on a Facebook page with a link to our CanadaHelps.org donation page, or emails to family and friends to participate. To date, the Campaign has raised over $900! Thanks to all who have donated and those whose campaigns are getting underway.

The support of donors is essential to the ability of SLSC to fulfill its mission to promote a humane and informed justice policy and responsible leadership to foster safe communities. Now, more than ever, support for evidence-based, effective programs and research is needed to help make Canadian communities safer. All of these ongoing contributions to our work is sincerely appreciated.

Anita Desai is Research and Policy Advisor at SLSC.

Comings and GoingsSLSC’s board and staff will miss Jennifer Macko and Meagan Irving, who have moved on from our Board of Directors to focus on other pursuits. Their contributions will be sorely missed.

We look forward to welcoming co-op students Elyse Jodouin from Carleton University, who will be on placement at SLSC this year, along with Meagan Strasser from the University of Ottawa, who will be dividing her Field Placement studies between SLSC and NAACJ. We look forward to working with both of these students to create a fruitful experience for all involved.