Prepared for home

It has all finally come to an end. This has been a fantastic opportunity for me and one which I will always remember. My thanks to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust for firstly having the confidence in me and for all the help and assistance in making these trips a reality. I appreciate the chance to widen my knowledge of my own work and that of the many kind people in both Finland and Canada who gave so freely of their time to assist and explain their systems of work to me. I have made many contacts and friends throughout the process. I have also spent time discovering the cultures of both countries and I hope participated to the best of my ability even when called on to get into a really hot sauna and then jump in a freezing cold lake. The host was impressed with my efforts and the fact I joined in. I still don't know if this really is a Finnish tradition but hey I was an ambassador. To those of you I have encouraged to apply get the applications in as this is a tremendous opportunity to enhance your skills on a global scale. Last but certainly not least I want to thank Dave Bowden for encouraging me to apply, Colin McAlister for assisting and suggesting Finland as a worthwhile centre of excellence which it truly was. Austin Treacy and Brian Erskine for being my referees and Julia Weston from the trust for all her guidance.
I am leaving on a jet plane tomorrow..............

The Westcoast Genesis Society - Genesis House and Maria Keary Cottage

The Westcoast Genesis Society is a non-profit organization and registered charity formed in April 2000. Its mission is to actively promote the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being of persons who are socially marginalized.

The Agency currently fulfills its mission within a therapeutic yet secure environment by

• Operating two Community Residential Facilities (CRFs) and Programs Centres for adult male offenders on conditional release (20 beds at Genesis House and 15 beds at Maria Keary Cottage) under contract to the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC)
• Delivering the first specialized programs in Canada for offenders living with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) at Maria Keary Cottage using an intervention model that accommodates the disabilities these clients face
• Providing transitional and supported housing for up to 20 adult men who live in New Westminster and are homeless or at risk of homelessness because of a physical, social or mental condition or disability under an operating agreement with the British Columbia Housing Management Commission (BC Housing)

Staff assist offenders to reintegrate into the community as law-abiding citizens through a variety of programs that focus on the individual's needs for therapeutic interventions and practical solutions. Staff support housing residents to access the resources they need to address their needs and stabilize their lives so they can achieve healthy, safe and meaningful lives, whether in alternate housing or as long-term residents of Maria Keary Cottage.
Staff also deliver a number of CSC Correctional Programs.
Westcoast Genesis Society, a non-profit charitable organization established and incorporated in 2000, is governed by a dedicated Board of Directors. Andrew Boyd is the founder and Executive Director.
Gordon Thomson is House Manager for Genesis House and Pamela Sesk is House Manager for Maria Keary Cottage. Each has House Supervisors and a Cook reporting to them. Pamela also has a Case Manager at Maria Keary Cottage primarily for the FASD Offender Program. Both House Managers report directly to Andrew Boyd along with Business Manager Robert Chesterman and professional program staff.
Boyd served as President of the New Westminster Downtown Residents Association (NWDRA) for several years and currently remains on the Board. He also co-chaired the New Westminster Homelessness Coalition for two years. The Coalition, with members from all levels of government and from local human service agencies, comes together to develop and implement effective strategies for meeting the needs of chronically homeless people in New Westminster. Boyd also serves as a member of the New Westminster Inter-Agency Council. He strives always to maintain positive relations with local neighbours, the broader community, elected officials and senior City staff.
Andrew Boyd has extensive experience as an Alcohol and Drug Counsellor with the Salvation Army’s Harbour Light Centre in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, where he built and became Director of their first Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) residential program for federal offenders. Before opening Genesis House in July 2000, he worked for CSC as one of their Program Delivery Officers for Correctional Programs. He is recognized for his entrepreneurial skill, his ability to work with staff and with very high-need clients, and his dedication to working with offenders to help ensure they reintegrate successfully into the community.

Community Residential Facilities (CRF)

Genesis House opened in July 2000. Built in 1898, it is a large, beautiful, white heritage house located at the corner of Carnarvon and Merivale in residential New Westminster, British Columbia. The house has been fully renovated inside to include additional showers and washrooms. The bedrooms have also been refurbished, and their floors have been restored to the original state. Genesis House can accommodate up to 20 residents in single, double, and triple occupancy rooms. Rooms are locked and residents have their own key.
Maria Keary Cottage opened in March 2010 upon completion of a major construction project that involved restoring the twin cottages built as rental properties for the widow Maria Keary in 1887 on Carnarvon Street a stone’s throw from the current Genesis House. Samuel Maclure, who later became one of British Columbia’s most influential architects, designed and built the original houses in the Queen Anne style. Besides restoring the original houses under a Heritage Revitalization Agreement with the City, the Society joined the two houses into one and also added a two-storey addition at the rear. The main entrance to Maria Keary Cottage is now at the north end of the building off Dickenson Street (one block north of Carnarvon). The house features a fully-equipped weight room and an infrared sauna. All but one of the fifteen CRF beds are in double occupancy rooms. Rooms are locked and residents have their own access code.
Both Genesis House CRF and Maria Keary Cottage CRF specialize in serving persons with substance use issues and accept residents on the Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program. The Agency also hosts local Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings. Staff at Maria Keary Cottage deliver the only residential program in Canada for adult male offenders on conditional release living with FASD utilizing highly structured and customized interventions that take into account the specific challenges faced by the individual client.
Both houses are close to public transportation with quick and easy access to most locations in the Lower Mainland. The Columbia SkyTrain station is a short walk away. The New Westminster Community Corrections (Parole) Office is also within walking distance. The Canada Games Pool & Fitness Centre and the Royal City Centre shopping mall are short distances away.
Each house has a cook and residents can have three meals daily (residents prepare their own breakfast in the morning and all meals on the weekend and on statutory holidays). Coffee is available through the day. There are laundry facilities in both houses and residents may purchase detergent at the Front Desk). Each house also has free cable T.V. in the rooms, one or two telephones for local calls and a computer terminal. The houses are staffed with awake staff on a 24/7 basis.

Correctional Programs

• Community Maintenance Program
• Community Program
• Methadone Maintenance Support Group Program
• FASD Offender Program including in-reach and outreach services, residential services while on conditional release, aftercare support
• Intensive Management Program – Reporting Centre
• Urinalysis Collection Service
• Community Employment Counsellor (CEC)
• MSD (Income Assistance) Liaison Officer
• Intervention Specialists (Temporary Detainee Unit)

Transitional and Supported Housing

In addition to the 15 CRF beds, Maria Keary Cottage also offers 20 low-barrier, harm-reduction beds for chronically homeless men. These transitional and supported housing beds are a response to the need identified in the December 2006 New Westminster Homelessness Action Strategy and Implementation Plan for “a minimum-barrier, harm-reduction supported housing facility for the chronically homeless.” Staff of Maria Keary Cottage offer housing and assistance to previously homeless men to help them stabilize their lives and overcome the barriers that keep them homeless.
 Firstly I must pay tribute to Andrew and his staff. He gave up quite a bit of his time to assist me with my research and gave very detailed information about this project. The facility is in two parts one of which is a total new build and excellent facility. The other more older property is a mirror image and also gives great assistance to those coming from the prisons.
Again both Houses are located on a Residential Street and Andrew and his staff promote what they are trying to achieve with the local community and in fact Andrew is the Charman of the local residents committee. This helps them with the issues which are faced having ex-offenders located in the residential area.

Guy Richmond Place - Halfway House - Run by The John Howard Society

Guy Richmond Place is a home in the community of Vancouver that promotes successful reintegration of men on conditional release from federal correctional institutions or on day parole from provincial institutions. It is a structured environment facilitating improved community functioning, offering assistance with employment and substance abuse issues, and lending moral support to residents on their way to becoming contributing members of society.

Guy Richmond Place is a Community Residential Facility that encourages self care. All residents are responsible for a house chore, cooking their own meals, laundry and maintaining a balanced lifestyle. Staff continues to provide support and advocacy for residents as needed and promotes healthy lifestyles and choices.

All residents are responsible for the preparation and clean up of their daily meal requirements. GRP provides an array of nutritional options that residents are able to pick from.

Guy Richmond Place continues to have a structured gradual curfew for the first two weeks of residency. During the first week of residency all residents will be expected to be in house between the hours of 5pm-6pm and again between 930pm and 7am. During the second week residents are expected to return to GRP by 930 pm. The third week, residency will become regular Sun-Thurs 11pm-7am in house Fri-Sat 1230 am-0830am. Curfews are set as agreed upon by the house manager and the Community Parole Officer. All residents must be in the house for a minimum of 8 hours per day as per house rules.

NO weekend passes during the first month of residency. One pass during the second month, two during the third month, three during the fourth month, blanket weekend passes after five months. Weekend passes are granted with the approval of both the Community Parole Officer and House Manager.

All resident are expected to abide by the following conditions:

Sign in and out of CRF and provide exact destinations, Follow house curfews. Call in every four hours from a landline unless at work. Complete house chore as assigned, have an open and disclosive working relationship with staff, provide input on Caseplan and monthly updates, smoke only in designated areas, No alcohol or substance consumption will be tolerated. Guest may visit between the hours of 10am and 10 pm and must sign in at the staff office.

Guy Richmond place continues to provide federal offenders on all types of release a structured and supportive environment. Due to John Howard Societies screening criteria it is difficult to determine a typical resident. All accepted residents need to be Male on some form of conditional release from a federal Institution, be actively participating on their caseplan and making positive change for themselves. The average resident stays 3 to 6 months and has some form of substance abuse, health condition or mental health need. 

Non CSC services that operate out of or uses the house (provincial beds, forensic beds, COSA, etc)

Guy Richmond Place offers residency to Correctional Services of Canada clients.

Guy Richmond Place works with Federal Offenders on all types of release from a federal Institution. Residents are expected to use their stay at Guy Richmond Place as an opportunity to complete programming, initiate employment, continue studies, build community supports, re-establish family relationships and have a structured and supported environment from which to reintegrate back into the community. Staff continue to monitor house rules and conditions of release as well as offer support and advocacy to our clients.

This house is based on a Residential Street and seemed to me to be the ideal way of re-integrating prisoners back into society. It has reasonably strict rules which are managed by those in the community House and breaching these will exclude you from residency. They are clearly explained during your induction process and you sign to say you will obide by them.

I was agin impressed by the staff here who are dedicated to assisting those coming out of custody to get their lives on track. It was also reassuring to know that very few residents were in the facility when I visited as they were all out at work or programmes.

The Salvation Army, Harbour Light Halfway House - Vancouver

The Salvation Army Vancouver Harbour Light is located at 119 East Cordova Street in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.  Their primary objective is to assist men and women over the age of 19 who are shelterless, incarcerated or whose lives have become dysfunctional because of addiction to chemical substances.  The Salvation Army is motivated by a commitment to God and a practical concern for the needs of humanity. The spiritual and humanitarian services represent a continuum of care that accepts individuals in pain, provides basic life necessities, treatment for those in active addiction, or reintegration of parolees to the community.  Harbour Light provides "building blocks" that enable clients to regain their health, obtain shelter, participate in a recovery program from substance abuse, access affordable housing and opportunities to move from unemployability to employability and re-integration to society.
The Harbour Light Centre is about recognising the dignity and worth of people and they use programmes of both spiritual, social, physical and psychological to assist the well-being of the individuals who arrive at their door.
Once again the work going on within these halfway houses is an inspiration. A dedicated team of people who assist those being released into their care is evident and the information flow which comes from the prisone service is excellent. This allows proper intigration of those with difficulties on release having proper services ready to accept them on release.

Insite - Supervised Injection Site

A health-focused place for people to connect with health care services

Since opening its doors in 2003, Insite has been a safe, health-focused place where people inject drugs and connect to health care services – from primary care to treat disease and infection, to addiction counselling and treatment, to housing and community supports.
Insite is North America’s first legal supervised injection site. The BC Ministry of Health Services provides operational funding for Insite through Vancouver Coastal Health, which operates the facility in conjunction with PHS Community Services Society.
Insite operates on a harm-reduction model, which means it strives to decrease the adverse health, social and economic consequences of drug use without requiring abstinence from drug use.
I have to say I was quite critical of my own first reaction to this site. I found myself questioning everything going on in my head as Tim showed me the facility. However, I could see that this is certainly a safe way for addicts to deal with theire addiction. They are monitored constantly by Nurses and this stops the risk of overdose. When put in context with the are it is situated and the amount of addicts I could see that this is a much needed facility for those caught within their addiction.
It is heavily regulated and the dedication of the staff working their again has to be recognised. The political climate will change and I would wonder if a less liberal goverment was in power would it survive. However, it has to be seen as a way of helping those who have fallen into addiction and it certainly saves lives by assisting them to cope with desease and overdose.

Belkin House - A Salvation Army run Halfway House

Belkin House is a Salvation Army run Halfway House which they would describe as a place of healing, where the battle is fought against homelessness, hunger, and despair - a battle fought with faith and compassion.

It is offerred as place where people can discover & begin moving toward what they were designed to be.
It is described as a place where people - ordinary people - accomplish heroic things every day.

At Belkin House they believe that they have been commissioned to reach out and help people whose lives are battered and broken ... to become well, whole and healed ... so that they may discover their purpose and assume the place in life that was designed for them.

I thought this was an absolutely first class place. The services offerred are exactly what I would feel are needed by some of the harder to deal with offenders on their release. I was extremely impressed by the staff both their personal commitment and also their professionalism dealing with what at times are a clientele that most other halfway houses turn away. Again as I have said earlier they have the "We do not turn anyone away" thought process. They house ex-offenders and also run a night shelter for men and women which when the system was described to me I felt was a real light in the tunnel of homelessness in Vancouver.

The John Howard Societies in Canada & Vancouver's Downtown Community Court

The John Howard Societies in Canada

The Canadian history of the John Howard Society began in 1867 with a group of church workers seeking to bring spiritual help to prisoners in the Toronto jail. In 1874 this small group became known as the "Prisoners Aid Association of Toronto." They soon came to recognize that more than spiritual aid was needed by prisoners, but interest dwindled during World War I (1914-1918). In 1929 a citizens' group led by Toronto's Chief of Police, General Draper, reactivated their cause as the "Citizens Service Association." Chief Draper understood that police work was undermined by the circumstances facing people upon release from prison. The Citizens Service Association - an organization of volunteers - set itself the task of providing practical help to ex-prisoners with housing, clothing and employment.

Vancouver's Downtown Community Court

Vancouver's Downtown Community Court is the first of its kind in Canada. This is in my opinion a fantastic idea. Which examines the reasons an offender finds themselves before a court and trys to offer them assistance in the areas that have led them to offend priort o imposing a custodial sentence.

• At its core, the community court is about partnership and problem solving. It's about creating new relationships, both within the justice system and with health and social services, community organizations, area residents, merchants, faith communities and schools.
• The community court is about testing new ways to reduce crime and improve public safety. It deals with offenders more quickly through a more co-ordinated and informed response.
• A high number of offenders in downtown Vancouver have health and social problems, including alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness, homelessness and poverty. The court takes a problem-solving approach to address offenders' needs and circumstances and the underlying causes of their criminal behaviour.
• Vancouver's Downtown Community Court opened in summer 2008. It works with about 1,500 offenders each year. There are two courtrooms in the community court, which is located at 211 Gore Ave. 

Although crime rates are decreasing in B.C. and across the country, Vancouver still has the second highest rate of property crime of any Canadian city. This includes theft from auto, shoplifting, and mischief. Other crimes, such as assault and drug possession, are also a serious problem. These problems are concentrated in Vancouver's downtown, the catchment area for the community court.
At least 50 per cent of offenders in downtown Vancouver have a mental illness, a drug addiction, or both, and many are chronic offenders. These are complex problems.
The justice system and society at large are challenged to address the risks posed by offenders, while also supporting their health and social needs. This can lead to a belief that the system is too slow, that it does not address offenders' root problems, and that the cycle of crime continues unabated. It can also lead to a lack of public confidence in the justice system.
The community court addresses these concerns through a partnership of justice, social and health care services which provide a timely, co-ordinated and meaningful response for treatment and sentencing of offenders. The needs of victims of crime are also addressed with an onsite victim support worker available to provide information support and referrals to programs and services.