| Purpose : |
The two-year project includes a number of activities aimed at inmates and their families and children. At the beginning of the project, six formal meetings will be held with the partners to assess needs, develop the documents that will be used, carry out consultations and prepare workshops. Throughout the project, workshops on the impact of incarceration on the family and restorative justice will be offered to 100 inmates a year. The inmates will receive assistance in writing letters to their children to stay in touch with them. Demographic data on families and data on criminal behaviour and the risk factors considered in sentencing (e.g., substance abuse) will be compiled and analysed in order to provide families with better services. Literature will be developed, and DVDs and videos will be used to help families feel more comfortable during their meetings. Workshops will be offered to raise awareness of staff members to the issues encountered by families. Workshops will be held for inmates on the effect of their incarceration on their family. Other activities such as “virtual visits” and referrals will be offered to the families of new offenders. Finally, families will be referred to the project's partner community organizations, such as Relais Famille and Le Passage. A professor from the University of Montreal's School of Criminology has agreed to act as a project evaluator. |