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Seventh Step Society of Canada
Former offender Bill Sands, with the support of Reverend James Post, founded what is now known as the Seven Step Society at the Kansas State Prison in 1963. Their goal was to help reduce recidivism among the ‘incorrigibles’ within the prison population - otherwise known as the toughest, hardened convicts.
The Ephesus Project: Volunteers delivering post-secondary education in Correctional Service Canada institutions
The Ephesus Project is a volunteer initiative that funds, organizes, and delivers post-secondary courses to incarcerated learners within the Correctional Services of Canada (CSC) institutions. The project, named for the great library in the ancient city of Ephesus, a centre of culture and learning in the Roman Empire, seeks to bring wisdom and culture to the incarcerated.
Museum making a comeback with visitors and Comeback Snacks
On Saturday, May 21, 2022, Canada’s Penitentiary Museum, in Kingston, opened its doors again to the public after the pandemic closed them in 2020. Two weeks later, the museum celebrated its reopening with a special guest who brought popcorn.
Development of the CSC Badge: A History of Pride
In the 1970s, Canada’s criminal justice system underwent a massive reorganization. Perhaps the most profound change came with the merger of the Canadian Penitentiary Service and the National Parole Service (not the same organization as the current Parole Board of Canada). The goal of this new, combined agency was to enable more continuity in correctional planning. By the fall of 1977, the merger was complete and, for a short time, this new agency was known as the Canadian Corrections Service (CCS).
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The Ephesus Project: Volunteers delivering post-secondary education in Correctional Service Canada institutions
The Ephesus Project is a volunteer initiative that funds, organizes, and delivers post-secondary courses to incarcerated learners within the Correctional Services of Canada (CSC) institutions. The project, named for the great library in the ancient city of Ephesus, a centre of culture and learning in the Roman Empire, seeks to bring wisdom and culture to the incarcerated.
Recognizing Carole Eldridge and her unique approach to restorative justice
For 14 years, Carole Eldridge has worked with the Restorative Opportunities (RO) program at the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), providing her clients with compassionate care as a restorative justice practitioner and mediator in cases of serious crime. She has walked the path with both victims and offenders on their journey towards dialogue and meaningful accountability. We recently sat down with Carole following her retirement to discuss the RO program and her exceptional work.
Offender gifts Sedna carving to Inuit women’s organization
Sedna is goddess of the sea and an important powerful woman figure in Inuit culture. That is why an Inuk offender chose to carve Sedna and anonymously donate her to Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada.
Stony Mountain Institution: Co-Operative Learning Leads to Sense of Community
On January 20, 2022, Tam Le, a minimum security offender at Stony Mountain Institution, participated in a virtual Walls to Bridges symposium. Tam was not just an observer of the Zoom symposium, though. He was one of the presenters who discussed a study he had coauthored with university professor Dr. Judith Harris.
The value of volunteers within the Correctional Service of Canada
Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has over 4,000 volunteers who work directly with offenders to support their rehabilitation and reintegration. Volunteering with CSC has deep historical roots going back to the late 1800s. Volunteers in correctional settings can offer an emotional and humanistic interaction that complement interactions with staff. They connect offenders to the outside world and model pro-social behaviour.
“A worthwhile sacrifice”: Maxime-Kalifa Sanou tells his story
As we celebrate Black History Month, Let’s Talk Express wanted to check in with Maxime-Kalifa Sanou, four years after the story on his athletic achievements and his exemplary discipline was published.
